Sudan

Press Statement Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State April 24, 2023 Following intense negotiation over the past 48 hours, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to implement a nationwide ceasefire starting at midnight on April 24, to last for 72 hours. During this period, the United States urges the SAF and RSF to immediately and fully uphold the ceasefire. To support a durable end to the fighting, the United States will coordinate with regional and international partners, and Sudanese civilian stakeholders, to assist in the creation of a committee to oversee the negotiation, conclusion, and implementation of a permanent cessation of hostilities and humanitarian arrangements in Sudan. We will continue to work with the Sudanese parties and our partners toward the shared goal of a return to civilian government in Sudan. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za International/. Announcement of Nationwide Ceasefire in Sudan Submission Details Author: Africa Media from . More Info link: Images: For a high res version of THIS image please contact Facebook: Twitter: …

United States Agency for International Development Statement Samantha Power, Administrator April 23, 2023 For more than a week, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan has claimed hundreds of lives, injured thousands, and yet again dashed the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people. Civilians trapped in their homes cannot access desperately needed medicines, and face the prospect of protracted power, water, and food shortages. Those trying to flee face brutality and theft on the streets. And all of this suffering compounds an already dire situation – one-third of Sudan’s population, nearly 16 million people, already needed humanitarian assistance to meet basic human needs before this outbreak of violence. The United States is mobilizing to ramp up assistance to the people of Sudan ensnared between the warring factions. That is why today I am announcing that the U.S. Agency for International Development has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) in the region to coordinate the humanitarian response for those in need both within and outside of Sudan. The DART will be operating out of Kenya for the initial phase of the response. Our DART disaster experts are working with the international community and our international partners to identify priority needs and to safely deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance to those who need it most. The United States has been the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to Sudan for more than a quarter century and our commitment to the Sudanese people is unwavering. This includes our local staff and the staff of our international partners who have dedicated their lives and worked tirelessly alongside the Sudanese people in hopes of building the peaceful, democratic country they deserve. At a time when many Sudanese families should be celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan, they are instead living in terror. The United States demands that the …

Media Note Office of the Spokesperson April 22, 2023 On April 22, 2023, the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended its operations, and the Department of State ordered the departure of U.S. direct hire employees and eligible family members due to the continued threat of armed conflict in Sudan. The Department continues to advise U.S. citizens not to travel to Sudan. This replaces the previous Travel Advisory issued on April 19, 2023. The full text of the new Travel Advisory is as follows: Sudan – Level 4: Do Not Travel C, T, U, K, O Reissued with updates to security situation and post departure status. Do not travel to Sudan due to armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping. On April 22, 2023, the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended its operations, and the Department of State ordered the departure of U.S. direct hire employees and eligible family members from Embassy Khartoum due to the continued threat of armed conflict in Sudan. The U.S. government cannot provide routine or emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Sudan, due to the current security situation. Armed conflict is ongoing throughout Sudan and includes heavy fighting between various political and security groups. The situation is violent, volatile, and extremely unpredictable, particularly in the capital city Khartoum. Electrical and communication disruptions, including internet and cell phone service, can occur at any time. Khartoum International Airport and Sudan’s border with Chad are currently closed. Country Summary: Armed conflict, crime, such as kidnapping, armed robbery, home invasion, and carjacking occur. Members of known terrorist groups and individuals sympathetic to these groups in Sudan could attack with little or no warning, targeting foreign and local government facilities, and areas frequented by Westerners. Violence continues along the border between Chad and Sudan and areas that border South Sudan (including the disputed Abyei …

Special Briefing Office of the Spokesperson Via Teleconference April 22, 2023 MR PATEL:  Hey, everybody.  Good evening.  Thanks so much for joining tonight, and thanks to everyone for their patience and dialing in.  Just some quick ground rules at the top.  This briefing is on the record and will discuss the recent decision regarding operations at the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, in Sudan.  The contents of this briefing are under embargo until the call’s conclusion. With us today we have a number of speakers from the State Department.  We have Under Secretary for Management Ambassador John Bass.  We also have Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Ambassador Molly Phee.  Additionally, from the Department of Defense, we have Chris Maier, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, who in his role supports embassy security for the Pentagon.  We also have with us Lieutenant General D.A. Sims, Director of Operations for Joint Staff J3. We’ll have some remarks at the top and then we’ll try to get through as many questions as we can. First I’d like to turn it over to Under Secretary Bass. UNDER SECRETARY BASS:  Thank you, Vedant.  Good to be with all of you this evening.  And as Vedant noted, we’re doing this to talk about changes to our operational posture in Sudan.  As of today, April 22nd, as a result of the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the United States has temporarily suspended operations – and I want to stress “temporarily” – suspended operations at our embassy in Khartoum. The widespread fighting, as you know, has caused significant civilian deaths and injuries.  There’s been substantial damage to essential infrastructure, including, importantly, the civilian airport in the heart of the city.  And so as a result of the intensity of the conflict and the challenges that our diplomatic personnel were experiencing in conducting basic operations and the uncertainty about their – the …

U.S. Department of Defense Press Release April 22, 2023 Today, at the direction of the President, the U.S. military conducted a successful operation to safely evacuate U.S. government personnel out of Sudan. This action, led by U.S. Africa Command and conducted in close coordination with the U.S. State Department, demonstrates the Department of Defense's support for our nation's diplomatic personnel. I'm proud of our extraordinary service members who executed and supported this operation with outstanding precision and professionalism. We also thank our allies and partners, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of this operation. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za International/. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on Sudan Submission Details Author: Africa Media from . More Info link: Images: For a high res version of THIS image please contact Facebook: Twitter: …

Press Statement Anthony J. Blinken, Secretary of State April 22, 2023 The U.S. Department of State has temporarily suspended operations at our Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan and safely evacuated all U.S. personnel and their dependents under our security responsibility. Suspending operations at one of our embassies is always a difficult decision, but the safety of our personnel is my first responsibility. I directed this temporary action due to the serious and growing security risks created by the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The widespread fighting has caused significant numbers of civilian deaths and injuries and damage to essential infrastructure and posed an unacceptable risk to our Embassy personnel. I applaud the skill and professionalism of our team on the ground, U.S. military forces, and others across the government who carried out this evacuation mission. We will continue to assist Americans in Sudan in planning for their own safety and provide regular updates to U.S. citizens in the area. We will also continue to coordinate with our allies and partners as well as our local partners on efforts to ensure the safety of their personnel. I reiterate my call to both sides to urgently extend and expand the Eid al-Fitr ceasefire to a sustainable cessation of hostilities to prevent further damage to the Sudanese nation. We remind both belligerents of their obligations under international humanitarian law, including obligations related to the protection of civilians. The United States, in partnership with the region and international community, will continue to press efforts to bring an end to this fighting and a return to the process of transition to civilian government. Inquiries related to U.S. citizens in Sudan should be directed to ACSKhartoum@state.gov. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za International/. Suspension of Operations at Embassy Khartoum Submission Details Author: …