Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted the successful evacuation operation was conducted at Biden's direction. He also highlighted the countries that assisted the operation.
"We also thank our allies and partners, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, which were critical to the success of this operation," Austin said in a statement.
The Rapid Support Forces, the Sudanese paramilitary group battling Sudan's army, issued a statement claiming to have aided in the U.S. evacuation.
"Today, Sunday, the Rapid Support Forces, in coordination with the US forces mission consisting of 6 planes for the purpose of evacuating diplomats and their families, supervised the necessary arrangements that preceded the evacuation process," the statement read.
State Department Under Secretary for Management John Bass refuted those claims.
"That was not the case. They cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation," he said. "I would submit that was as much in their self-interest as anything else."
The Sudanese army said Saturday that evacuations of foreign diplomatic staff from the U.S., U.K., France and China will begin in the coming hours on military airplanes, as fighting persisted in the capital, including at its main airport. Their evacuation will be by air in military transport aircrafts belonging to their armed forces, the army said.
