Apr 24, 2023
Special Forces Rescue U.S. Embassy Staffers in Warring Sudan Transcript
U.S. special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the American embassy in violence-torn Sudan, U.S. officials said late Saturday. Read the transcript here.
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Kareen Wynter (00:04):
Now at 10:30, a bloody power struggle in Sudan has entered its second week. Now for the first time, the US and other countries are starting to evacuate some people out of Sudan, but not everyone. Everyone who’s been able to leave has been evacuated, but there’s still those who remain behind.
Rick Chambers (00:22):
Yeah. KTLA5’s Rachel Menitoff is live in the news center now. She’s got the latest on that. Rachel?
Rachel Menitoff (00:27):
Rick and Kareen, we’ve just learned that all diplomats and their family members are on their way out of Sudan, and the US Embassy in Khartoum is now closed. This comes after a week of intense fighting between rival armies. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured.
(00:47)
The Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, a time typically filled with prayer and celebration, was a somber one in Sudan. Gunshots rang out across the capital of Khartoum and heavy smoke billowed into the sky. According to CNN, the US Embassy successfully evacuated everyone tonight and closed its doors. There are still close to 16,000 American citizens living in the country. The US issued a warning today asking them to shelter in place until further notice.
Karin Jean-Pierre (01:19):
US Africa Command is monitoring the situation and conducting prudent planning for various contingencies.
Rachel Menitoff (01:25):
In Khartoum, many people packed up whatever they could fit in a suitcase and prepared to leave by bus.
(01:32)
This man says the situation is really bad, that citizens are taking advantage of each other. The intense fighting between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group called Rapid Support Forces started on April 15th. Its two generals are vying for control over the capital and other parts of the North African nation. The violence so far has killed 413 people, including one American. 3,500 more are wounded, according to the latest information from the World Health Organization. Thomas Okedi is working with refugees on the ground and describes the dire conditions from North Darfur.
Thomas Okedi (02:10):
There’s no electricity in the city, and right now it is 41 degrees centigrade in this summer. There is no water in households. Food is fast running out in the city because all the supply lines for the food, which are basically districts or localities outside of the city, every other supplier is scared of trying to come into the city and make the dangerous journey into the city to supply food.
Rachel Menitoff (02:34):
And one of the problems has been is that the international airport in Khartoum is currently closed because of the fighting so the US brought in its own military plane. The Pentagon said it’s also deploying more troops to the area in case of additional evacuations.
(02:50)
We’re live in the news center, I’m Rachel Menitoff. I’ll send it back to both of you in the studio.
Rick Chambers (02:53):
All right, Rachel. Thank-
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