Posted on 12/22/2013 2:09:57 PM PST by kristinn
American relief workers trapped in Bor, South Sudan, were evacuated Sunday aboard United Nations helicopters that took them to the capital city of Juba.
Three U.S. military aircraft sent to evacuate the Americans from Bor on Saturday came under small arms fire from undetermined forces forcing the mission to be aborted. Four U.S. military service members aboard were injured by the fire.
“This morning, the United States — in coordination with the United Nations and in consultation with the South Sudanese government — safely evacuated American citizens from Bor, South Sudan, ” said State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki in a statement released Sunday.
Psaki said that an unspecified number of Americans and citizens from other partner nations “were flown from Bor to Juba on U.N. and U.S. civilian helicopters.” In light of Saturday’s incident Psaki said that both the United States and the United Nations “took steps to ensure fighting factions were aware these flights were a humanitarian mission.”
Violence broke out earlier this week between rival factions of South Sudan’s military, and there is concern that the violence could become a full-blown civil war. Hundreds have been killed in the fighting which has mainly taken place in the capital city of Juba. Bor, in the eastern state of Jonglei, has also seen heavy violence and is reportedly controlled by the military faction not loyal to the government.
The Americans in Bor were transported out aboard flights organized by the United Nations to evacuate its civilian staff from the area, where as many as 15,000 have sought refuge from the fighting at the U.N. compound.
SNIP
South Sudan is the world’s newest country after breaking away from Sudan in 2011. The United States has provided almost $1 billion worth of foreign aid to help the new country establish infrastructure...
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Why would any non-military American be within 1,000 miles of Sudan?
Three U.S. military aircraft sent to evacuate the Americans from Bor on Saturday came under small arms fire from undetermined forces forcing the mission to be aborted.
An A-10 would have taken care of that pesky problem,
why didn’t they return fire???
Don’t tell me I know the answer.
Send them a bill for saving their butts.
Lesson #1 for all Americans: Don’t go to Africa.
Obama came very close to presiding over a deadly disaster in South Sudan while on vacation.
So, the US isn’t actually going to do a thing to help the Christians to keep them from being genocided?
Will we even give them some arms to stop the Muslims from butchering them?
probably not, they aren’t drug lords or Al Qeada
Thanks kristinn.
Never even entered my mind.
U.S. Citizen Evacuation in South Sudan
Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Department Spokesperson
Washington, DC
December 22, 2013
This morning, the United States -- in coordination with the United Nations and in consultation with the South Sudanese government -- safely evacuated American citizens from Bor, South Sudan. U.S. citizens and citizens from our partner nations were flown from Bor to Juba on UN and U.S. civilian helicopters. The United States and the United Nations, which has the lead for securing Bor airport in South Sudan, took steps to ensure fighting factions were aware these flights were a humanitarian mission.
The U.S. government is doing everything possible to ensure the safety and security of United States citizens in South Sudan. We are working with our allies around the world to connect with and evacuate U.S. citizens as quickly and safely as possible. For their safety and security, we will not outline specific evacuation plans.
So far, we have evacuated approximately 380 U.S. officials and private citizens and approximately 300 citizens of other countries to Nairobi and other locations outside South Sudan on four chartered flights and five military aircraft. Other U.S. citizens may have left through other means.
We strongly recommend U.S. citizens in South Sudan depart immediately, and we encourage those who remain to keep in touch with the Embassy and update their locations and status by contacting us at
southsudanemergencyusc@state.gov. PRN: 2013/1613
It is also my understanding that the “Rebels” are from Sudan and are Islamists that vowed to kill every Christian they could find and make South Sudan a Muslin country.
Notice the Rebels are armed with AK-47’s...
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