A senior U.S. official reportedly confirmed that the military is planning to deploy more people to Djibouti in anticipation of a potential operation to evacuate staff members of the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan.
Plans to evacuate embassy personnel, who are taking refuge barely eight miles from Khartoum’s international airport, were initially reported by Politico. Heavy fighting has rendered the airport unworkable, and it looks that military evacuation is the only way for the about 70 embassy staff members to leave Sudan without considerable risk to their lives.
U.S. Defense Officials are reporting that a Significant Contingent of U.S. Military Forces including Immediate Response Units are in the process of being Deployed to Bases in Djibouti for anticipation of a Evacuation Mission for U.S. and Allied Diplomats/Nationals still in Sudan. pic.twitter.com/6REibdzU90
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 20, 2023
Since Saturday, when clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army broke out in the capital, embassy personnel have taken refuge in situ.
Five million city dwellers and thousands of US personnel are caught in the crossfire as the two factions struggle for control of the nation.
Politico reported that in a private meeting with senators on Wednesday, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman announced that soldiers will be sent to Djibouti, where Camp Lemmonier is situated, to provide the Biden administration alternatives for starting an evacuation operation.
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