According to Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, the United States evacuated its diplomats and their families from the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum early Sunday morning.
"The Rapid Support Forces Command has coordinated with the U.S Forces Mission consisting of 6 aircraft, for evacuating diplomats and their families on Sunday morning," said a tweet by the paramilitary group.
Reuters independently reported the evacuation, citing a source with knowledge.
The U.S. State Department informed VOA earlier Saturday that it is "aware of reports that a number of U.S. citizens were able to leave Sudan." Due to privacy and security concerns, a State Department spokesperson stated that no further comment could be made.
General Abdel Fattah Burhan, the head of the Sudanese army, said in a statement that his forces would facilitate the evacuation of diplomats and citizens from the United Kingdom, China, France, and the United States "in the coming hours."
As fighting has been reported near Khartoum International Airport, it remains unclear how a significant evacuation might transpire. Some of the most intense gun engagements and shelling have occurred in the past week around the airport.
A journalist reporting for VOA from Khartoum stated that he could hear heavy gunfire late in the day and that both parties have resumed fighting despite a declared cease-fire.
General Burhan is the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo is the rival Rapid Support Forces commander, also known as Hemedti.
Blinken urged both generals to maintain the nationwide cease-fire until at least Sunday when the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr concludes. On Thursday, the senior U.S. diplomat also participated in a special ministerial session led by the chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, at which all participating leaders agreed that an immediate cease-fire was imperative.
Former allies, the two generals usurped power in a coup in 2021 but later engaged in a bitter power struggle.
The sudden fighting that erupted a week ago has brought the city of more than 5 million people to the verge of collapse, with residents hunkering down in their homes without electricity amidst bombardment and roving fighters plundering homes.
According to experts, the situation in Khartoum is dire. Human Rights Watch's deputy Washington director, Nicole Widdersheim, contacted VOA via Zoom.
"What worries me the most is that we're hearing that Sudanese continue to flee the bombardment and aerial strikes, which, according to our experts who are in direct contact with people in Khartoum, is worsening. It is becoming less discriminating."
Widdersheim told VOA that it is difficult to comprehend why the two warring generals cannot at least observe a cease-fire for the important Muslim holiday commemorating the end of Ramadan.
"It is unclear to me whether or not these leaders now have control over all of their forces because if you have this level of international community leaders saying, 'Listen, we just need fundamental safe passage for foreigners, and we'll work with you to bring this to a nonviolent dialogue,' it is unclear whether or not these leaders have control over their forces. It is unclear to me that they command all of their forces."
Meanwhile, on Saturday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak presided over an emergency response committee meeting regarding the situation in Sudan.
VOA sought out the United Nations to inquire if any of their 800 international staff would be evacuated. A spokesperson stated, "We are considering all possibilities." Nothing is confirmed at this time."
The Sudanese military reported that army chief General Burhan had requested the safe evacuation of their citizens and diplomats from Sudan, where violent confrontations in the past week have resulted in the deaths of more than 400 people.
Burhan stated that Saudi Arabian diplomats had already been evacuated from Port Sudan and flown back to the kingdom. He stated that diplomats from Jordan would shortly be evacuated similarly. Saudi State Television reported that the first evacuation vessel from Sudan arrived in the port city of Jeddah on Saturday, transporting 50 Saudis and nationals from friendly nations. Egypt has also evacuated personnel, while Japan is poised to do the same.
Friday, U.S. Department of State spokesperson Vedant Patel warned non-government U.S. citizens in Sudan.
"We have advised Americans not to travel to Sudan since August 2021, and the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum's April 16 security alert stated that Americans should not anticipate a U.S. government-coordinated evacuation at this time," Patel said. It is imperative that U.S. citizens in Sudan make their safety arrangements in light of the current precarious situation.
Patel stated that U.S. authorities were in contact with hundreds of Americans believed to be in Sudan. The State Department has certified the death of a U.S. citizen abroad. The individual was not a U.S. government worker.
Saturday, the State Department issued the following statement to VOA:
“The U.S. Embassy continues to closely monitor the situation in Khartoum and surrounding areas. U.S. citizens are strongly advised to remain indoors, shelter in place until further notice, and avoid travel to the Embassy. We are in communication with private U.S. citizens who may be in the region about safety measures and other precautions. U.S. citizens in Sudan should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security alerts and email ACSKhartoum@state.gov if they need assistance. At this time, the U.S. government cannot provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Sudan, due to the current security situation. However, we have a team of consular officers in Washington, D.C., who are working around the clock to communicate directly with U.S. citizens.”
Sudan shares borders with seven nations and is located between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and the volatile Sahel region of Africa. Four years after Omar al-Bashir's ouster, violence erupted as a transition plan to establish a new civilian government, backed by the international community, was set to take effect. Government and paramilitary forces each accuse the other of impeding the transition.
