U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud and Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan to discuss fighting between Sudan's military and paramilitary forces.
These hostilities threaten "the security and safety of Sudanese civilians and undermines efforts to restore Sudan's democratic transition," according to an April 15 State Department news release.
"Deeply concerned about reports of escalating violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces," Blinken said in a post on Twitter. "We are in touch with the embassy team in Khartoum - all are currently accounted for. We urge all actors to stop the violence immediately and avoid further escalations or troop mobilizations and continue talks to resolve outstanding issues."
Al Jazeera shared key points about the hostilities as the fighting entered its sixth day in an April 20 report. There has been at least 150 people killed and more than 500 injured. The fighting disrupted civilian life and caused a shortage of essential supplies, including food and medicine.
International powers, struggling to evacuate their citizens after the airport and several districts housing embassies were caught up in the violence, have pushed repeatedly for a truce, to little effect, Al Jazeera reported. As many as 70% of the hospitals in Khartoum and neighboring states have been rendered out of service due to the fighting, according to the Sudanese Doctors Union.
More people have been leaving the capital, according to Al Jazeera. Most have been able to pass through checkpoints, but some have been stopped, according to residents and social media posts.
Blinken called on General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Degalo to take active measures to reduce tensions and ensure the safety of all civilians, the State Department news release reported. He also urged a return to negotiations to support the Sudanese people's democratic aspirations.
The U.S. government continues to stay in close communication with its embassy in Khartoum and has been communicating with American citizens in the region about safety measures and precautions, the release reported.
