US expels diplomats from Sudan

About a week ago, fighting broke out in Sudan between two of the country’s most powerful generals and their factions. The two have led the country of about 46 million people since a joint military coup in 2021.

Incumbent President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is also supreme commander of the military, is pitting the military against his deputy, Mohammed Hamdan Daghlo, head of the powerful Paramilitary Group (RSF). Indeed, Taghlo’s group should have surrendered to the military and power in the country should have returned to a civilian government.

For days, the U.S. military, along with other Western countries, had been preparing to evacuate their own citizens. Additional armed forces were transferred to Sudan’s neighboring countries.

Fighting continues in Sudan between the army and RSF militants. Both parties to the conflict are now giving the green light to expel German citizens.

04/22/2023 | 01:32 min

The US government has previously made it very clear that Americans who are not in Sudan as diplomats or consular staff cannot expect to be taken out of the country. US citizens are strongly advised not to travel to Sudan for extended periods of time.

Parties to the conflict in Sudan have agreed to allow foreigners to leave the country. An earlier evacuation from the stricken capital Khartoum had to be halted.

04/22/2023 | 02:39 min

American media recently reported that several thousand Americans may still be in Sudan. No official information has been released regarding this.

The airport in Khartoum has been the center of battle in recent days. Foreign diplomats tried to broker a permanent ceasefire for the evacuation.

The first attempt to take Germans out of the country by Luftwaffe plane was canceled on Wednesday because the security situation in the beleaguered capital was deemed too dangerous for such an operation.

The Sudanese army and paramilitary have pledged to facilitate the evacuation of foreigners from Sudan. Assessment by ZDF reporter Luc Walbaud.

04/22/2023 | 00:53 minutes

A crisis team meets daily in Berlin. A few days ago, the Bundeswehr made preparations for a new attempt to evacuate German citizens and other people.