Biden says U.S. embassy evacuation in Sudan has been completed
CTV
U.S. troops are carrying out a precarious evacuation of American embassy staffers in the African nation of Sudan, shuttering the U.S. embassy there as fighting rages for a ninth day, according to a senior Biden administration official.
President Joe Biden said late Saturday that the U.S. military had completed the evacuation of U.S. embassy personnel in Sudan, and called for end to "unconscionable" violence there as two rival leaders battled for power in the African country.
Biden thanked the U.S. troops who carried out the mission to extract American staffers in Sudan. With the evacuation, Washington shuttered the U.S. mission in Khartoum indefinitely.
The staffers were airlifted to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the mission. U.S. troops carried out the operation as fighting between two armed Sudanese commanders --which has killed more than 400, put the nation at risk of collapse and could have consequences far beyond its borders--moved into a second week.
"I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our Embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America's friendship and connection with the people of Sudan," Biden said in a statement. "I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety."
Biden also thanked Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia for their help with the mission.
Biden ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation earlier Saturday from his national security team with no end in sight to the fighting.
"This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. It's unconscionable and it must stop," Biden said. "The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan."
