Joe Biden announces suspending operations at US Embassy in Sudan

Struggle for primacy in war-torn Sudan enters second day of Eid as temporary truce between waring forces ends

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US President Joe Biden speaks at the Royal Warsaw Castle Gardens in Warsaw, Poland on February 21, 2023. — AFP
US President Joe Biden speaks at the Royal Warsaw Castle Gardens in Warsaw, Poland on February 21, 2023. — AFP

  • Struggle for primacy in war-torn Sudan enters second day of Eid.
  • Truce between waring forces ends shortly after announcement.
  • US President Joe Biden says conflict "unconscionable", "it must stop".


In light of the current situation in Sudan, US President Joe Biden has announced the temporary suspension of operations at the American embassy in Sudan, but assured of Washington's continuing commitment to the Sudanese people.

The struggle for primacy in the African country entered the second day of Eid as the temporary ceasefire ended shortly after the warring forces of Army Chief Abdel Fattah-Al-Burhan and his rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) chief Mohamed Hamdan Daglo announced it.

The Sudanese conflict has so far claimed the lives of 413 people, leaving thousands injured and a thousand of others confined to their homes without electricity, water and communication.

Taking notice of the matter, the US president said that "it must stop" as the conflict was was "unconscionable".

"This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians. It’s unconscionable and it must stop . We’re temporarily suspending operations at the US Embassy in Sudan, but our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future they want is unending," Biden wrote on Twitter.

The American leader said that US government personnel had been evacuated from Khartoum, the hotspot of the Sudanese conflict, as per his orders.

He further stated that he was closely following the ongoing work for the assistance of Americans present in the war-torn country and US' allies and partners were a part of the efforts.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that "all US personnel and their dependents" have been safely evacuated and that the US will continue to assist Americans in Sudan in planning for their own safety.

The bloody onslaught of urban warfare has trapped large numbers in the Sudanese capital, disabling the airport and rendering some roads impassable.

The UN and foreign states have urged rival military leaders to honour declared ceasefires that have mostly been ignored and to open a safe passage for fleeing civilians and the supply of badly needed aid.

Sudan's sudden collapse into warfare dashed plans to restore civilian rule, brought an already impoverished country to the brink of humanitarian disaster and threatened a wider conflict that could draw in outside powers, four years after the overthrow of long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir in a popular uprising.

With the airport closed and skies unsafe, thousands of foreigners - including embassy staff, aid workers and students in Khartoum and elsewhere in Africa's third-largest country — have also been unable to get out.

Saudi Arabia has evacuated Gulf citizens from Port Sudan on the Red Sea, 650 km (400 miles) from Khartoum. Jordan will use the same route for its nationals.

Additional input from Reuters.