Global Courant 2023-04-21 06:48:37
In Sudan, a US citizen was reportedly killed last week amid escalating violence in the country’s capital.
“We can confirm the death of a US citizen in Sudan,” a State Department spokesman told CBS News. “We are in contact with the family and offer them our deepest sympathy for their loss.
Fox News Digital has contacted the State Department for more information.
In Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, April 20, 2023, residential buildings damaged during fighting can be seen. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese military have battled for control of the country, with 5 million city residents and US personnel caught in the crossfire.
A 24-hour ceasefire that began on Wednesday expired on Thursday night with no word on an extension, raising the likelihood of weeks of violence that have left hundreds of Sudanese dead so far.
CONFLICT IN SUDAN: US CARRIES OUT ‘PRUDENT PLANNING’ AS VIOLENCE ESCALATES
Alarms have grown that the country’s medical system was on the brink of collapse, with many hospitals forced to close and others short of supplies.
The brief ceasefire brought only marginal calm to some parts of the capital, Khartoum. But many residents took advantage to flee their homes where they were trapped for days.
The demise of the ceasefire underlined the failure of the United States, the UN, the European Union and the regional powers to get Sudan’s top generals to abandon their campaigns to take control of the country. Instead, Army Chief General Abdel Fattah Burhan and RSF Commander General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo each seem determined to achieve a military victory over the other.
The US military is preparing to deploy additional troops to Djibouti for a possible mission to evacuate personnel from the US embassy in Kartoum.
“The Department of Defense, through the US Africa Command, is monitoring the situation in Sudan and is conducting prudent planning for various contingencies. As part of this, we are deploying additional capabilities in close proximity in the region for contingency purposes related to the securing and potentially facilitating the departure of U.S. Embassy staff from the Sudan, if circumstances warrant it,” Defense Department spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Phillip Ventura said.
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“We are not speculating on possible future operations for policy and security reasons,” he added.
Liz Friden, Chris Pandolfo and The Associated Press of Fox News contributed to this report.
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues and much more.
