American diplomats were fired upon Monday in Sudan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said to reporters at ongoing G7 meetings in Japan.
Nobody was hurt in the incident, which reportedly saw a U.S. diplomatic convoy come under fire, according to the BBC. Meanwhile, European Union Ambassador to Sudan Aidan O’Hara was reportedly assaulted inside his home in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum.
NEW: Secretary Blinken held separate calls with Sudan’s Burhan and Hemedti today to urge a ceasefire and stressed the responsibility of the two generals to ensure the safety and wellbeing of civilians, diplomatic personnel, and humanitarian workers. pic.twitter.com/ZXvFUCaMx4
— Joseph Haboush (@jhaboush) April 18, 2023
Blinken described the attack on the U.S. convoy as “reckless” and “irresponsible.” O’Hara was not seriously hurt, according to Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin.
The attack was a “gross violation of obligations to protect diplomats,” Martin said.
The geopolitically important north African country has been thrown to the brink of civil war as two rival military leaders, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, turned against each other over the weekend. The two leaders had been sharing power following the overthrow of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
Plans to move the country in a democratic direction with a peaceful transfer of power have apparently deteriorated, after forces loyal to the two leaders turned on each other. (RELATED: Two Dead After Sudanese Authorities Clash With Anti-Military Government Protesters)
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said there are currently no plans to evacuate American personnel from the country. Khartoum’s airport has been closed and many civilians have been forced to shelter in place. Nearly 200 people are reportedly dead with nearly 2,000 injured so far in just three days of fighting, according to the United Nations.