The US State Department on Monday announced that a third US-government organized convoy had arrived in Port Sudan, the latest overland evacuation of US citizens and others amid the crisis in Sudan.
The more aggressive effort by the US government to assist those who had been in the capital city of Khartoum came after intense criticism from some Americans who said they felt abandoned by the US government and left to navigate the complicated and dangerous situation on their own. Despite a number of nations evacuating their citizens, the US government last week repeatedly said that the conditions were not conducive to a civilian evacuation.
On Saturday, however, the State Department announced that “a US government-organized convoy carrying US citizens, locally employed staff, and nationals from allied and partner nations” had reached Port Sudan – the first US-led effort to evacuate private American citizens from Sudan.
On Sunday, a second US government-organized convoy also reached Port Sudan. Once there, Americans were able to board ferries to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where US consular officials were on hand.
On Monday, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that consular officers “are on hand in Port Sudan to provide consular assistance to US citizens” – a notable return of diplomats to assist following the evacuation of all US government personnel from Khartoum.
“Since April 24th, we have moved State Department personnel from Washington DC and overseas missions, including, among others, to Djibouti, Jeddah, Nicosia and Nairobi to assist US citizens departing Sudan,” he said.
In addition to the bus convoys, the US for the first time used one of its naval assets, the USNS Brunswick, to transport people from Port Sudan to Jeddah.
Patel said Monday that the three convoys had “assisted over 700…
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