Americans trapped in Sudan told to ‘shelter in place’ till help can arrive
Thousands of Americans still trapped in war-torn Sudan were warned Sunday that they will have to “shelter in place” while the US works to get them out.
Most of the US citizens remaining in the East African nation ravaged by civil war are aid workers or Sudanese Americans, said Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) on ABC’s “This Week.”
“We need to find a safe way to get them out,” Warner said, adding that the US is working with other countries including China to evacuate the Americans, possibly through a land corridor.
“In the meantime, they do need to shelter in place until those convoys are put in place,” he said.
Late Saturday, US forces conducted a daring evacuation that emptied the American embassy in Khartoum as the nation’s violence continues to spiral out of control.
Members of SEAL Team 6, the legendary group responsible for killing Osama Bin Laden more than a decade ago, joined Army Special Forces units to see the evacuation through, according to USA Today.
More than 100 special ops troops flew in on helicopters that took off from the nation of Djibouti about 800 miles away, the New York Times said.
They removed roughly 70 American staffers, whom they airlifted from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia, two US officials familiar with the mission said.
The embassy has been shuttered indefinitely. It remains unclear when it might reopen.
After the evacuation, President Biden released a statement that called the ongoing turmoil “unconscionable.”
“This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians,” Biden said. “It’s unconscionable and it must stop. The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan.”
With Post wires