U.S. special operations forces have evacuated the American embassy in Khartoum, Sudan.
The fighting in Sudan continues with no end in sight.
With the danger to foreign citizens increasing daily, the United States, United Kingdom, and France conducted a military operation to evacuate their diplomats, citizens, and other foreign nationals.
Special Operations Evacuation
U.S. special operators working with the State Department evacuated about 100 U.S. diplomats and their families on Saturday night. The U.S. commandos safely evacuated the diplomats to neighboring Ethiopia.
The U.S. special operations task force included Navy SEALs from Naval Special Warfare Development Group—formerly known as SEAL Team 6—Army Special Forces operators from the 3rd Special Forces Group, Army aviators from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers, and Air Force personnel from Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). About 100 special operators were involved in the operation.
“Today, at the direction of the President, the U.S. military conducted a successful operation to safely evacuate U.S. government personnel out of Sudan. This action, led by U.S. Africa Command and conducted in close coordination with the U.S. State Department, demonstrates the Department of Defense’s support for our nation’s diplomatic personnel,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III said in a statement.
“I’m proud of our extraordinary service members who executed and supported this operation with outstanding precision and professionalism. We also thank our allies and partners, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of this operation,” the Secretary of Defense added.
The U.K. military launched its own evacuation operation in coordination with the U.S., France, and other allies. The British evacuation operation involved more than 1,200 troops from the 16 Air Assault Brigade, Royal Marine Commandos, and Royal Air Force.
“This morning, UK Armed Forces undertook a military operation alongside the US, France & other allies. They have evacuated British Embassy staff & their dependants from Khartoum due to the escalating threats,” British Minister of Defense Ben Wallace stated.
“I am grateful to all our partners including Cyprus. I want to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of our armed forces,” the British Minister of Defense added.
There are, however, still thousands of foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens, trapped in Sudan. The State Department continues to work with the warring parties to create an evacuation plan for those caught in the crossfire.
Fighting in Sudan
The fighting in Sudan broke out suddenly last week when the Sudanese military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Security Forces, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, started fighting for control of the country.
The two groups were allies before the fighting broke out. Indeed, in 2019, they fought together to overthrow the ruthless Omar al-Bashir, Sudan’s dictator of 30 years. Following the ousting of al-Bashir, the two groups worked together in a transitional government. The goal was to eventually hold elections and transition the country to democracy.
At least 400 people have been killed and more than 3,500 wounded, according to the United Nations.
The East African country is once more plunged into fighting with no end in sight.
Expert Biography
A 19FortyFive Defense and National Security Columnist, Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. He is currently working towards a Master’s Degree in Strategy and Cybersecurity at the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
