US Evacuates Diplomats & Their Families, Shuts Embassy In Khartoum

Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract U.S. Government personnel from Khartoum.  I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our Embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied America’s friendship and connection with the people of Sudan. 

I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety.  And I thank Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of our operation.     

I am receiving regular reports from my team on their ongoing work to assist Americans in Sudan, to the extent possible.  We are also working closely with our allies and partners in this effort.

This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians.  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.  

We are temporarily suspending operations at the U.S. Embassy in Sudan, but our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future they want for themselves is unending.

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Event: On April 22, 2023, the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended its operations, and the Department of State ordered the departure of U.S. direct hire employees and their dependents due to the continued threat from armed conflict in Sudan. The U.S. Government cannot provide routine or emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Sudan, due to the current security situation. Please see the updated Travel Advisory for Sudan.

Due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safe to undertake a U.S. government-coordinated evacuation of private U.S. citizens. However, we remain dedicated to assisting U.S. citizens remaining in Sudan. To inform U.S. citizens of options to leave Sudan as security conditions permit, we need to know your information. If you are a U.S. citizen in Sudan, please fill out the following form: https://cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake (There is no need to submit this information again if you have already submitted information concerning yourself or a U.S. citizen family member to U.S. Embassy Khartoum).

When communicating with the U.S. Department of State, please include:

Your full name as spelled in your U.S. passport,
Your passport number,
Your current location in Sudan,
Your local telephone number,
Your email address.

Please also include this same information for any U.S. citizen family members currently with you in Sudan.

The security situation throughout Sudan continues to be violent and unpredictable due to ongoing armed conflict, with active fighting in country and uncertain safety conditions. We recommend carefully considering routes and the risks of travel, because roads may be crowded, exposed to combat operations, or have deteriorated infrastructure due to damage to bridges, roads, and facilities. All U.S. citizens should carefully monitor local and international media outlets for information about changing security conditions.

Actions to take:

Attempt to stay at the lower levels of your location, stay away from windows and exercise caution.
Monitor local media for updates.
Review Department of State’s Travel Advisory for Sudan and the most recent  Security Alerts.