The US State Department has established a special taskforce to deal with the crisis in Sudan, a spokesperson told CNN Tuesday.
“The State Department has established a Sudan Military Conflict Task Force to oversee the Department’s planning, management, and logistics related to events in Sudan,” the spokesperson said.
A notice about the taskforce went out to staff on Monday, sources said.
In recent days, intense fighting between the rival Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out in Khartoum and spread further into the country, leaving hundreds dead and injured.
The State Department has urged American citizens to shelter in place, and US diplomats in Khartoum have also been sheltering in place. The US Embassy said on Tuesday that “due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, there are no plans for US government-coordinated evacuation.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a press conference Tuesday that “yesterday we had an American diplomatic convoy that was fired on.”
“All of our people are safe and unharmed. But this action was reckless, it was irresponsible, and of course unsafe – a diplomatic convoy with diplomatic plates, a US flag, being fired upon,” he said at a press conference in Japan.
Both the SAF and RSF have said they are committed to a 24-hour ceasefire beginning on Tuesday evening local time, though there have been reports of gunfire after that ceasefire’s supposed start.
“We continue to press the RSF and SAF to establish a 24-hour ceasefire, and call on both to ensure all forces adhere to it,” the State Department spokesperson said.
Prior to the announcement of a ceasefire, Blinken called the heads of each of the rival factions to urge them to stop the fighting.
EJ Hogendoorn, who…
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