U.S. officials reported today, Sunday, that "all U.S. government employees from the Washington embassy in Khartoum, including a small number of diplomats from other countries, have been evacuated in an operation that moved fewer than 100 people amid ongoing fighting in Sudan." A military official stated that "U.S. aircraft entered and exited Sudan without any issues." Another official added that "a large number of local employees are still supporting the embassy, as Washington decided on Saturday to suspend its activities."
In this context, Under Secretary of State for Management John Bass indicated that "we have evacuated all American employees working at the Khartoum embassy along with their families." He stated that "many local staff remain in Khartoum to attend to embassy matters." He added: "The United States does not expect the security situation to change in the country in the near term, nor does it foresee coordination from the U.S. government for the evacuation of its citizens in Sudan currently or in the coming days."
He clarified that "some Americans and citizens of other nationalities managed to leave Khartoum by land and reach Port Sudan," describing the journey as "difficult due to shortages of fuel, food, and water that are expected." While the State Department does not recommend or advise people to take this route, Bass stated that they "will look for ways to assist them in making the journey."
The evacuation process began at 3 PM yesterday and involved the use of three MH-47 Chinook helicopters specifically designated for transport, which took off from a U.S. base in Djibouti, then landed in Ethiopia for refueling before embarking on a three-hour flight to Khartoum.
