US: Pentagon Preparing Armed Mission in Sudan

By Staff, Agencies

As part of the US norm of interference, the US military has deployed additional troops and equipment to Africa under the pretext of preparing for a possible evacuation of American personnel in Sudan, where fierce fighting with rebels has left hundreds dead and injured.

Soldiers have been positioned at a key US base in Djibouti, Camp Lemonnier, in anticipation of an evacuation mission for employees at the US Embassy in Khartoum. The embassy includes around 70 American staffers.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Pentagon said it had deployed additional “capabilities” in the region as part of “prudent planning for various contingencies,” but stopped short of confirming any upcoming operations, and did not specify where the troops would be stationed.

While so-called US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said President Joe Biden had “authorized the military to move forward with pre-positioning forces and to develop options,” a decision to withdraw US diplomatic staff has not yet been made.

Planning has reportedly been underway since Monday, when a US Embassy convoy came under attack by rebel gunmen, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He noted that no Americans were harmed in the assault, while a department spokesman said the US envoy to Sudan, John Godfrey, was not present during the incident.

An evacuation mission would carry risks, as the airport in Khartoum is out of operation and some roads out of the city are under the control of militants. If a secure landing area cannot be located, the evacuees could be forced to make a 12-hour drive to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, more than 500 miles away from the capital.

The security situation in Sudan has quickly deteriorated in recent days, with battles erupting between the country’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces [RSF] and the government last week amid a dispute over the formal integration of the RSF into Sudan’s military.