After the Biden administration announced last week U.S. military personnel would evacuate U.S. Embassy workers in Sudan, with no plan to evacuate other Americans living in the country, a number of individuals have been killed.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family. We continue to make clear at the highest levels of our government the leadership of both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces that they are responsible for ensuring the protection of civilians and noncombatants, including people from third countries and humanitarian staff that are working to save lives,” National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said during a call with reporters Wednesday morning.
“We’ve said this many, many times that the violence is simply unconscionable and it must stop. We’ve got to do what’s right for the Sudanese people. They want a return to peace and security in Khartoum and around the country, and they want to see a transition to civilian authority. And we need to keep working at that,” he continued.
During the daily press briefing at the White House Tuesday afternoon, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan attempted damage control on the administration’s lack of evacuation for American citizens.
“This happens from time to time. And if you look back over the course of months and years, you see military-assisted departures from embassies,” Sullivan said. “We have placed ISR assets — intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets — over the land evacuation route to help facilitate safe travel by land from Khartoum to the Port of Sudan. And we have started to see a more regular pattern of convoys begin to arrive, including convoys that have Americans in them.”
“Once at the Port then, we are using diplomatic facilities in neighboring countries to help those Americans with their onward travel so that they can get safely out of the country. We anticipate that this route will continue to be available for Americans who are looking to leave,” Sullivan continued, leaving it up to Americans to make the dangerous journey to the evacuation route established after embassy workers were evacuated by the U.S. military.
Meanwhile, Americans back home are outraged over President Biden’s habit of leaving citizens behind.
