Washington: No plans by US to send peacekeeping troops to Sudan

US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, said America has no plans to put peacekeeping troops on the ground in Sudan.

In a press conference held at the White House yesterday, Sullivan added that the US embassy in Khartoum had temporarily suspended its activities and that work would resume after security was restored in Sudan.

In response to a question about the deployment of US peacekeeping forces in Sudan, Sullivan said that there are no plans for this, noting: “I don’t have any plans or announcements to make about the United States deploying peacekeepers to Sudan, to putting American boots on the ground to try to keep the peace in Sudan. That is not presently in contemplation. I don’t expect it will be.”

Sullivan described the violence in Sudan as “unconscionable. It must stop.”

He added: “We’ve made clear to the highest levels of both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces that they are responsible for ensuring the protection of civilians and non-combatants, including people from third countries and humanitarian staff who are still to this day working to save lives.”

“The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, adhere to international law, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan to return to a path of civilian rule,” said Sullivan.

WATCH: foreign nationals evacuated as ceasefire fails in Sudan

He pointed out that the US “placed ISR assets — intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets — over the land evacuation route to help facilitate safe travel by land from Khartoum to the Port of Sudan.”

Sullivan confirmed Washington’s evacuation of its diplomats and their families, noting that the State Department continues to communicate with Americans who wish to leave Sudan.

Sullivan thanked Djibouti, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia “each of which were critical to the success of our operation.”

Since 15 April, major clashes have erupted in a number of Sudanese states between the army, led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo ‘Hemedti’, in which hundreds have been killed and wounded, most of whom are civilians.

The Rapid Support Forces were formed in 2013 to support government forces in their fight against the rebel movements in the Darfur region, and then assumed tasks, including combating irregular migration and maintaining security, before the army described it as a “rebel” force after the outbreak of clashes.