Multiple governments are lining up naval forces in the Red Sea to prepare for the further emergency evacuation of foreign nationals as the crisis in Sudan accelerates.
Maritime Executive reports that United States and Saudi diplomats have negotiated a 72-hour ceasefire between the warring factions to give non-Sudanese citizens the chance to flee to safety. Operations to help foreigners leave the country have already been under way for the past few days, which started with embassies evacuating their staff from the capital, Khartoum.
Fighting erupted between Sudan's military (SAF) and an allied paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15. So far, more than 400 people have been killed in combat, which has included fighting in the capital.
The RSF and the military joined forces to overthrow a civilian government in a coup in 2021 but their alliance disintegrated during the attempted transition back to democratic rule. The RSF was to be incorporated into the SAF, and both sides would cede some of their political power to an incoming new civilian government. However, both sides accused each other of mobilising to seize control of the country and the fight led to violent urban combat and shelling.
The US military evacuated the last 70 personnel from its embassy in Khartoum on Saturday night under a guard force of 100 troops.
“I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety," US President Joe Biden, said in a statement after the successful evacuation.
US nationals have been advised to leave Sudan, but about 16 000 US citizens are believed to still be in the country. The US Navy has staged the cruiser USS Truxton off Sudan's Red Sea coast. The USS Lewis B. Puller – which has a large flight deck and accommodation – is also enroute to assist.
India has also dispatched an air and naval fleet to repatriate 3 000 citizens, and so far about 500 nationals have reached Port Sudan.
France, which has sent a warship to Port Sudan, has already evacuated by air around 500 people of 36 nationalities.
China is also making plans to evacuate its citizens by moving them overland to neighbouring countries.
A third of Sudanese people are already dependent on food aid but the World Food Programme is suspending its massive distribution operations due to the outbreak of violence in the country.
