US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said:
Good evening everyone. It is very good to be with my friend and colleague, Secretary Cleverly. We have been consulting closely on the situation in Sudan. We are also in close contact with partners in the Arab world, Africa and international organizations. There is a common deep concern about the fighting, the violence, that is going on in Sudan, the threat it poses to civilians, that it poses to the Sudanese nation, and potentially even to the region.
There is also a strongly shared view of the need for General Burhan and Hemeti to ensure the protection of civilians and non-combatants, as well as people from third countries, including our staff based in Sudan. And also a well-established view, again, across all of our partners on the need for an immediate ceasefire and a return to talks. The talks were very promising to put Sudan on the path to a full transition to a civilian-led government.
The people of Sudan want the army back to its barracks. They want democracy. They want a civilian-led government. Sudan needs to get back on this path. On our part, we’ve also been in close contact, of course, with our embassy, to make sure that our people are safe and accountable, and that’s the case. And we’re also in close contact with any U.S. citizens, in Sudan, to make sure that those who are registered with the Embassy and that we’re actually in touch with, get all the information they can get on how to stay safe and secure.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:
Secretary Blinken, thank you. Obviously, earlier today, we had discussions about the situation in Sudan. The UK has been in touch with our friends in the Arab region, and we will continue to do so. But I echo the points Secretary Blinken has already made calling for an immediate halt to the violence, a return to talks, and talks that seem to be heading in the direction of civilian government.
And, of course, this is the desired end result. And we will continue to work with our close friends in the United States of America and our friends in Africa and the broader Arab world to make this move toward peace and civil democracy.
Obviously, from the UK government’s perspective, our number one priority is to protect British citizens. We have previously changed our travel advisory and advised against all travel to Sudan. I have ensured that British officials at the Embassy in Khartoum are safe and held accountable, and we will continue to provide whatever support we can to British nationals in Sudan.
But in the end, the near future lies in the hands of the generals involved in this battle. We call on them to put peace first, to end the fighting, and to return to negotiations. This is what the people of Sudan want. This is what the people of Sudan deserve, and we will continue to look for ways to support a path back to peace.
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