At least one American has been killed in Sudan as rival military factions fight for control of the northeast African nation, the State Department said Friday.
The U.S. victim’s name, gender, hometown and other details were not immediately disclosed.
“We can confirm the death of one U.S. citizen in Sudan,” Vedant Patel, a State Department spokesperson, said.
“We are in touch with the family and offer our deepest condolences to them on their loss. Out of respect for the family during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add.”
There are an estimated 16,000 Americans on the ground in Sudan as fighting between two warring generals has forced citizens to shelter in place, according to two congressional sources.
“Khartoum International Airport and Sudan’s border with Chad is closed and due to the unfortunate and uncertain and very fluid security situation in Khartoum, and again, because of the closure of the airport, it’s not safe to undertake a U.S. government coordinated evacuate of private American citizens at this time,” Patel told reporters Thursday.
“But we’re continuing to monitor the situation closely. We’re monitoring it from here, monitoring it with our team in Khartoum.”
The State Department this week issued a dire warning against travel to Sudan, saying armed “conflict, crime, such as kidnapping, armed robbery, home invasion, and carjacking” are current threats there.
April 20, 202301:40
The Defense Department also disclosed Thursday that it is increasing its forces in the region in case a full-fledged evacuation of Americans from Sudan becomes necessary.
The conflict pits Sudanese military forces, under the control of Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and his former deputy, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
