The White House announced on Sunday that United States Armed Forces personnel have conducted an operation to evacuate US personnel and others from Khartoum, Sudan.
The operation comes in response to the “deteriorating security situation in the country,” according to a press release.
In a letter to the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate, President Biden detailed the measures taken to ensure the safety of U.S. citizens and maintain national security.
In the letter, Biden said, “At my direction, United States Armed Forces personnel have conducted an operation to evacuate United States personnel and others from Khartoum, Sudan, in response to the deteriorating security situation in Sudan.”
“To conduct and support this operation, United States Armed Forces personnel with appropriate combat equipment deployed to Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Sudan,” he went on to say.
U.S. forces will remain stationed in Djibouti to protect American personnel and others until the security situation improves.
Biden also indicated that additional forces are prepared to deploy to the region if necessary.
He emphasized his “responsibility to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests.”
The release indicated the decision was made in accordance with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148), as part of Biden’s efforts to “keep the Congress fully informed” of his military actions.
According to a CBS News report, diplomats spent approximately 30 minutes on the ground in Djibouti on Sunday morning before departing for Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany at about 2:30 am ET.
The evacuation efforts were monitored by Secretary of State Antony Blinken from the State Department, according to Vedant Patel, the State Department’s principal deputy spokesperson.
About 100 U.S. Special Forces conducted the mission to evacuate nearly 100 embassy personnel, The Wall Street Journal notes.
On April 15, a long-standing rivalry between Sudan’s top two generals escalated into a full-blown conflict, with the country’s military pitted against the state-sponsored militia known as the Rapid Support Forces.
This clash has led to street battles that involve the use of guns and artillery fire.
Tens of thousands of Sudanese citizens have been forced to flee their homes, while millions more are stranded with dwindling access to basic necessities like food and water.
“The widespread fighting has caused significant numbers of civilian deaths and injuries and damage to essential infrastructure and posed an unacceptable risk to our Embassy personnel,” Blinken said.
