Pentagon approves State Dept request to evacuate nationals from Sudan

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Agencies
29 Apr 2023 22:36

Singh emphasized that the goverment's priority "has been and remains" to evacuate as many US nationals as safely possible from the conflict-ridden country.

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh holds a press briefing in the Pentagon Press Briefing Room, Washington, January 19, 2023 (DoD)

Today Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh announced that the Department of Defense approves the request of the State Department to evacuate US nationals from Sudan via air and land evacuation routes.

"The Secretary of Defense [Lloyd Austin] approved a request for assistance from the Department of State to support the safe departure of U.S. citizens and their immediate family members via overland. The Department of Defense deployed U.S. intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets to support air and land evacuation routes, which Americans are using, and we are moving naval assets within the region to provide any necessary support along the coast," Singh said in a statement.

Singh emphasized that the government's priority "has been and remains" to evacuate as many US nationals as safely possible from the conflict-ridden country.

Earlier today, US State Department Spokesperson Mathew Miller foreshadowed Singh's announcement of the Pentagon's approval of the evacuation operation. He revealed that a US convoy has already arrived in Port Sudan to evacuate American citizens and other civilian personnel from the conflict-ridden African country.

"A U.S. government-organized convoy carrying U.S citizens, locally employed staff, and nationals from allied and partner countries arrived at Port Sudan on April 29. From there, we are assisting U.S. citizens and others who are eligible with onward travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where additional U.S. personnel are positioned to assist with consular and emergency services," Miller stated.

Last week, several countries, including the US, launched evacuation operations from Sudan which has entered its second week of the conflict: with clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces burgeoning all across the country.

President Joe Biden had announced that the United States military evacuated the American embassy staff stranded in Khartoum.

Under Secretary of State John Bass said that while American diplomats had been evacuated from Sudan in the operation, it is unlikely that Washington will evacuate US citizens in the coming days.

"We don't foresee coordinating a US government evacuation for our fellow citizens in Sudan at this time or in the coming days," Bass was quoted saying.