In August 2021, the Biden administration faced criticism for abandoning thousands of Americans and Green Card holders in Afghanistan after surrendering to the Taliban. The State Department released figures in November that as many as 14,000 Americans were left behind to fend for themselves when President Joe Biden and his administration quickly fled the country due to their artificially set timeline.
This weekend, Sudanese officials announced their willingness to help evacuate American citizens from war-torn zones. Tragically, one American has already died amidst ongoing fighting.
On Saturday, President Joe Biden ordered the evacuation of U.S. embassy staff in Khartoum, Sudan. This decision comes amid escalating violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In response to this deteriorating situation, United States military forces conducted a series of operations aimed at extracting UN Government personnel from Khartoum.
Senior U.S. officials provided insight into these events during a background call with reporters late Saturday night. They explained that they had reluctantly decided upon evacuating embassy staff due to concerns about intensifying violence and shortages of essential resources such as food and fuel.
However, it remains unclear whether any American citizens currently residing within Sudan have requested evacuation assistance or whether government officials are prepared or capable of facilitating such requests should they arise.
A UK military official shared brief details regarding recent evacuations but was quick to counter claims circulating on social media suggesting that RSF had assisted with these efforts. The official adamantly denied any involvement by RSF members during these emergency extractions.
The unfolding crisis in both Afghanistan and Sudan raises questions concerning overall strategy decisions made by the Biden administration while also highlighting broader humanitarian concerns facing individuals caught amidst armed conflict worldwide.