US has evacuated nearly 1,000 Americans from Sudan since outbreak of fighting

The U.S. has evacuated nearly 1,000 American citizens from Sudan amid escalated tension in recent weeks.

Starting last month, violent clashes broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, and the increasingly volatile situation has led Western countries to evacuate their embassies and civilians alike recently.

US MILITARY WILL NOT BE AIDING AMERICANS STUCK IN DETERIORATING SUDAN CRISIS

Pentagon deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved a request from the State Department to support Americans leaving Sudan “overland” and noted, “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.

“The Department of State reports that the U.S. government has assisted in the departure of nearly 1,000 American citizens since the beginning of the crisis,” National Security Council coordinator John Kirby told reporters on Monday. “That includes the departure of hundreds of American citizens over the weekend by U.S. government-organized convoys to the Port of Sudan. In the Port of Sudan, where the USNS Brunswick, which is an expeditionary fast transport ship, is supporting their onward travel. That also includes ongoing efforts to evacuate Americans on flights from partnered aircraft.”

The two armies agreed to a three-day ceasefire last Monday, and the violence from both sides remains diminished. The capital, Khartoum, where much of the fighting is taking place, remains dangerous.

“I want to stress that while the reduction has been decreased by these ceasefires and the extensions of them, conditions remain tenuous, and the situation may not be able, the conditions may not be able to continue to support future operations,” Kirby added. “We continue to call, of course, on the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to fully uphold the ceasefire to which they both committed. Our focus has been and remains on helping as many U.S. citizens depart who wish to do so as safely as we can.”

Two Americans have been killed during the fighting. The deteriorating security situation in Khartoum prompted the U.S. and other Western countries to evacuate embassy personnel the weekend before last.

There are roughly 16,000 Americans in Sudan, many of whom are dual citizens, though the Biden administration has warned that this number is inexact.

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On Monday, a U.S. veteran-led non-profit organization called Project DYNAMO completed an air rescue mission of almost 90 Americans in Sudan. The plane carrying the refugees landed safely in Egypt. The group coordinated with local contacts and international partners to ensure the safe extraction of American citizens.

“Our mission is unwavering and very simple: secure the safe return of our fellow citizens and allies, no matter the obstacles that lie ahead. We are steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that as many people in peril as possible reach a safe haven,” group founder and CEO Bryan Stern, a combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient, said in a statement. “On the day the first air evacuation happened, it is noteworthy that the US Navy pulled a boat in and then abruptly canceled all ground movement. In the face of these challenges, we remain resolute and unwavering in our determination to bring people to safety.”