Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces announced Sunday that it had “coordinated with” American forces to evacuate Washington’s embassy in the nation, where violence between a paramilitary group and the army has resumed after a brief truce.
In the first announced evacuation of civilians, more than 150 people from various countries had already arrived in Saudi Arabia.
Even though Sudan’s main airport remains blocked, foreign governments have stated that they are planning to evacuate thousands more of their citizens.
“The Rapid Support Forces Command has coordinated with the U.S Forces Mission consisting of 6 aircraft, for evacuating diplomats and their families on Sunday morning,” said a tweet by the heavily armed paramilitary group.
The RSF pledged “full cooperation with all diplomatic missions, and providing all necessary means of protection, and ensuring their safe return to their countries”.
The group previously said it was ready to “partially” open “all airports” in Sudan to evacuate foreign citizens. It was not possible to verify which airports the RSF controls.
Fighting has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded, while survivors cope with shortages of electricity and food.
On Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry announced the “safe arrival” of 91 of its citizens along with nationals from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada and Burkina Faso.
As the kingdom’s naval forces transported the civilians, including diplomats and international officials, across the Red Sea from Port Sudan to Jeddah, fighting resumed in Sudan’s capital Khartoum after a temporary truce saw gunfire momentarily die down on Friday, the first day of Eid al-Fitr.