Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Politics

Blinken: US engaging with Sudanese leaders, pressing to expand ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a press conference at Karuizawa Prince Hotel West in Karuizawa, Nagano prefecture, Japan, 18 April 2023. ZHANG Xiaoyu/Pool via REUTERS

The United States is pressing Sudanese military leaders to expand a ceasefire and is exploring options to return a diplomatic consular presence to the country as soon as possible, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.

He told a news conference with Kenyan Foreign Secretary Alfred Mutua that deteriorating security conditions in Khartoum posed unacceptable risks to keep personnel there at this time, and that the department was communicating with Americans in the country.

"We continue to be in close communication with U.S. citizens and individuals affiliated with the U.S. government to provide assistance and to facilitate available departure routes for those seeking to move to safety," Blinken said.

He said U.S. officials were continuing "to engage directly" with Sudanese military leaders General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the army and leader of Sudan's ruling council since 2019, and his deputy on the council, RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti.

"We also continue to engage directly... to press them to extend and expand" the ceasefire, Blinken said.

Sudan's sudden slide into conflict between the army and a paramilitary group has sparked efforts by several countries, including the United States, to evacuate stranded nationals.

Mutua said Kenya is not pulling its diplomats out of Sudan because it wants a presence as negotiations continue toward a peaceful settlement.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Doina Chiacu and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.