First US-organized civilian evacuation convoy arrives in Port Sudan

29 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

This Saturday, the first civilian evacuation convoy organized by the United States authorities arrived in the city of Port Sudan, on the shores of the Red Sea, after a long and difficult journey from the capital, Khartoum, the scene of fighting between the Army and the Rapid Support Forces that broke out 15 days ago.

“A convoy organized by US authorities with US citizens, local contract personnel, and citizens of allied and partner countries has arrived in Port Sudan on April 29,” said a State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller.

“From there we will help United States citizens and other candidate citizens to travel to Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, where there are United States personnel prepared to help with consular and emergency services,” he added.

US citizens stranded in Sudan since the start of the violence have expressed their unease at Washington’s lack of attention. According to the latest balance of the Sudanese Ministry of Health, at least 528 dead have died. Among the dead are two Americans.

Several countries have already facilitated the evacuation of their citizens, such as Saudi Arabia, which has just reported the evacuation of 4,879 citizens, but Washington has taken more than a week to achieve the civilian evacuation. The evacuation of US administration personnel was carried out in a military operation last weekend.

“The security conditions that have allowed the departure of thousands of foreign and US citizens have been the result of intense negotiations by the United States with the support of our regional and international partners,” Miller argued.