Countries evacuating diplomats from Sudan as violence continues

The U.S. said it has evacuated its embassy staff from Sudan, while France and other countries were evacuating diplomats on Sunday, following eight days of battles between rival military factions in the African country.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that Washington is “temporarily suspending operations at the U.S. Embassy in Sudan.” He reiterated calls for a ceasefire.

“The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan,” Biden said.

France’s ministry of foreign affairs and its defense ministry announced they are coordinating a “rapid evacuation operation for our diplomatic personnel and nationals in Sudan, in conjunction with all stakeholders and our European and allied partners.”

The operation includes “nationals of these states” and European diplomatic personnel, the ministries said.

The two warring sides in Sudan accused each other of attacking a convoy of French nationals, both saying one French person was wounded, Reuters reported.

Other countries also appeared to face problems with evacuations on Sunday, according to the Reuters report. A Qatari convoy heading to Port Sudan was reportedly attacked. Egypt said a member of its mission in Sudan had been wounded by a gunshot, Reuters reported.

Saudi Arabia has evacuated Gulf citizens from Port Sudan on the Red Sea, according to Reuters, while Jordan plans to use the same route for its nationals.

According to the World Health Organization, at least 300 people have been killed and more than 3,000 injured since last weekend in fighting between rival army factions in Sudan.

Two EU officials were hurt in fighting in the country’s capital of Khartoum.

In the conflict, units loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan’s transitional governing Sovereign Council, are pitted against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The two sides were once allied, but disagreement later escalated over integrating the RSF into the armed forces under an internationally backed transition plan, in addition to other factors.