2023-04-27 12:01:00
Americans forced to evacuate crisis-hit Sudan express outrage at Washington/Marwan Ali/AP
2023.04.27 Thu posted at 21:01 JST
（ＣＮＮ） As the crisis continues in Sudan, Americans stranded in the country, feeling abandoned by the U.S. government and growing resentful, are forced to risk their own escape.
“I am deeply shocked and outraged by the lackluster US response to the health and safety of our people.” Muna Daud’s parents fled Sudan via Port Sudan and entered Saudi Arabia.
As countries continue to evacuate their own citizens, Washington has repeatedly said it is not in a position to evacuate civilians. All U.S. government employees were evacuated by military operations. U.S. officials say they are in “close contact” with Americans and “actively helping” them to leave Sudan.
But CNN interviewees said clashes between the military and paramilitary RSF have erupted, even as “dozens” of Americans, including their own families, want to leave Sudan. Since then, the U.S. State Department has provided almost no support, he said.
Hundreds died in the fighting, including two Americans, and thousands were wounded. People trapped in their homes are facing a humanitarian crisis as they lack food, water, medicine and electricity.
Americans stranded in Sudan were forced to “make a life-or-death decision” with little advice on how and when to leave Sudan, family members testify.
“To be honest, the State Department was completely useless.” Imad, who said his parents were heading to Egypt from Khartoum, told CNN.
“We expected the State Department to give us some advice, but the advice was only a formality, telling us to evacuate and not giving us any important information,” Imad said.
“We were only told that if we managed to get to Port Sudan, Saudi Arabia would help us from there,” recalls Daud.
Many also challenged claims by U.S. officials that they had urged Americans to leave Sudan. In June 2021, the alert level was raised to “Level 4: No travel”, and the US State Department consistently urged Americans to create an “evacuation plan that does not rely on the support of the US government.” However, there have been no recent recommendations to evacuate Americans.
Mezun Surfab, who has several American relatives in Sudan, said he was trying to get an immigrant visa because his father’s wife was not a U.S. citizen, and that his uncle was in Sudan for his funeral.
“It’s just an excuse to protect ourselves,” said Imad, noting that Sudan was not at war when he visited in December. “If I knew we were going to be in full-blown civil war, I would never have let my parents go,” he says.
Imad also challenged the U.S. government’s explanation that most Americans in Sudan are dual citizens and do not want to leave the country, stressing that “dual citizens are also citizens.”
Dowd recalls that the trip from Khartoum to Port Sudan by bus was “nine hours of dread” for his 69-year-old father and 66-year-old mother, both American citizens.
“My parents had to wait on the side of the road to find the bus,” Dowd said. The bus was stopped three times by RSF soldiers, and once at a checkpoint his father was held at gunpoint because he thought he was a Sudanese soldier.
“All the men were instructed to get off the bus and were searched and questioned.” His father was held at gunpoint the entire time. “Her mother thought her father might be taken away or shot. Fortunately he was released.”
When Daud’s parents arrived in Port Sudan, they didn’t know how long they would have to wait to catch the ferry to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The U.S. State Department had informed us that if we went there, consular officials would assist American citizens.
Meanwhile, American citizens trying to escape Sudan via Egypt testified to a deepening humanitarian crisis in the border region.
According to Sulfab, following the US diplomats withdrew, his relatives, who had American nationality, decided to flee and headed for Ethiopia and Egypt. However, he has not been contacted since his father left for Egypt.
Sulfab’s cousins and their children, all of whom are US citizens, had to wait three days before they might enter Egypt. The group was stranded in the desert without food, water or medicine, and there were no facilities such as toilets.
“There are children and women who are thirsty. Whether they are Americans or not, this is a humanitarian crisis,” Surfab said. “If no one comes to help, they will die.” bring the action.
Imad said the move to Egypt was “extremely difficult” for his 74-year-old father and 66-year-old mother. During the first few days following the clashes, her mother and father were separated and her father walked three and a half hours to reunite with her mother.
Imad said it was only two hours ago that the U.S. State Department informed him that he would join the evacuation convoy organized by the United Arab Emirates and Turkey on Thursday. Americans needed their own cars to join, but most did not have cars they might drive to Port Sudan.
“Other countries might have secured buses, evacuated their own people, and planned to send hundreds of their own people out of the country, so why are we left behind while we let 70 diplomats escape? I don’t understand,” said Imad.
After many attempts, Imad’s parents arranged for a car to take them to the bus station and through Khartoum’s “artillery and bombardment” they managed to get there, waiting six hours before finally getting a seat.
Normally, the fare is around 50 dollars (regarding 6,680 yen) per person, but this time it cost 600 dollars.
Imad said on Sunday evening that his parents, who had traveled 36 hours to reach the Egyptian border, had not yet crossed the border. The father’s passport was expired, but he had a copy of a valid passport, and when he contacted the State Department, he was told that other people had been in a similar situation before them. He was instructed to contact us tomorrow to check on the situation, as we will respond in turn.
“Both of my parents are elderly with health problems. We have no water or food. The bus has gone and we are on the border road waiting to be let into the country,” said Imad.
Imad’s wife Leela also said, “I was shocked that there was no humanitarian assistance in the area.” But if there are deaths, it will be a disgrace for society,” he said, adding, “If you don’t mass evacuate Americans or substantively help Sudanese people, at least provide essential goods at the border.” Appealed.
The U.S. Embassy in Khartoum issued an advisory to U.S. citizens on Thursday, urging them to carry food, water and medicine with them when heading to the borders of Egypt and Ethiopia.
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