The Pentagon is sending more troops to Djibouti to prepare for a potential embassy evacuation from Sudan as the forces of rival generals have been battling in the capital of Khartoum.
Fighting in Sudan entered its sixth day on Thursday after several failed attempts at a ceasefire. The fighting is between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s army chief and de facto leader, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of a paramilitary force, known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
US officials have said any evacuation would only focus on getting embassy staff out of Sudan, not US citizens who are in the country. “It is currently not safe to undertake a US government-coordinated evacuation of US citizens,” said State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.
Khartoum’s airport has been damaged by shelling, making it difficult for people to leave the country. According to an estimate from the World Health Organization, at least 330 people have died in the fighting.
Earlier this week, reports said a diplomatic convoy came under fire in Sudan, prompting Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to warn the warring sides. He spoke with both al-Burhan and Dagalo.
Both al-Burhan and Dagalo were involved in the ousting of Sudan’s long-time military ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019, which briefly led to better US-Sudan relations. In 2020, the US removed Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terror after 27 years for agreeing to normalize with Israel, although they have not yet worked out a deal to establish diplomatic ties.
The Trump administration also made Sudan pay $335 million in compensation to victims of the 1998 US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania that were carried out by al-Qaeda, even though Osama bin Laden was expelled from Sudan in 1996. In response to the embassy attacks, the US bombed a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Khartoum.
US-Sudan relations deteriorated again in 2021 when al-Burhan launched a coup that disrupted the country’s efforts to transition into a civilian-led government. Al-Burhan took power with Dagalo as his deputy. The US suspended aid to Sudan in response, and Khartoum grew closer to Russia.
Earlier this year, al-Burhan’s government agreed to allow Russia to build a Red Sea naval base in Sudan, although they said the deal hinged on it being approved by a future civilian parliament that still needs to be established.
Earlier this year, al-Burhan’s government agreed to allow Russia to build a Red Sea naval base in Sudan ~ go figure
Exactly. It is very simple. The paramilitary us urging the appointment of a leader from “democratic forces” as interim president. Go figure.
So it goes.
LOL that will be a Cluster F then , i wonder how many copters will crash this time out ? .
i predict that only buckets of bolts that need to be replaced anyway
The airport has been shut down ever since things blew up last Saturday.
Are we talking caravan here or Vietnam style helicopter pickup from the roof?
Camels have a lot smaller carbon footprint.
“at least 330 people have died in the fighting”
if you keep your eyes peeled on the TV and internet you will discover that quite often the official figures and stats etc consist of the number 33
Well that is a bit curious…
just keep your eyes peeled for those 33s
“US Positioning Troops for Potential Sudan Embassy Evacuation: The US is sending more troops to Djibouti”
Another country being overthrown by Victoria Nuland and Blinken.
Why? Because Sudan announced the ceding of a naval base on their coast to Russia a month ago. America does not want Russia to have a naval base on the Red Sea.
To quote an old song: “You can’t always get what you want…”