#US evacuates personnel from Sudan amid fighting: reports

The U.S. military has evacuated embassy personnel and their families from Sudan, as fighting continues between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group, according to media reports.

The operation was completed early Sunday morning in Sudan, The Washington Post reported. It involved at least six aircraft and was carried out in coordination with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The RSF said in a statement posted to Twitter that it coordinated with U.S. forces in the mission to evacuate the diplomats.

“The Rapid Support Forces has also supervised all the necessary arrangements that preceded the evacuation process, as well as affirm their full cooperation with all diplomatic missions, and providing all necessary means of protection, and ensuring their safe return to their countries,” the group said.

The Sudanese army also said its leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had agreed to facilitate the evacuation of foreign nationals, according to the Post.

The Pentagon had prepared for an evacuation in recent days, after fighting broke out last weekend amid a struggle for power between al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. More than 400 people have been killed, including an American citizen.

Sunday’s evacuation comes amid a three-day truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, although fighting appears to have largely continued in spite of the ceasefire.

The United Nations and others have urged the rivals to honor the declared ceasefires in order to open safe passage for fleeing civilians and let in a supply of badly needed aid, Reuters reported.