US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday expressed concern about the engagement of Russia's Wagner mercenary group in Sudan, although did not elaborate.
Blinken also said that the United States is looking at how to help US citizens wishing to leave Sudan amid the ongoing violence, while exploring ways to resume a diplomatic presence in the country.
Speaking at a news conference at the State Department, Blinken declined to say how many US citizens are known to be in Sudan but said "dozens" have expressed an interest in leaving. Many of the Americans there were dual citizens, he added.
Dozens of Americans want to leave
"We continue to be in close communication with US citizens and individuals affiliated with the US government to provide assistance and to facilitate available departure routes for those seeking to move to safety," Blinken said.
"In addition, we're looking at what options we have to perhaps resume diplomatic presence in Sudan, including in Port Sudan," he said, but added that the conditions were "very challenging."
The sudden eruption of violence in Sudan between the military and the well-armed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group on April 15 has killed at least 427 people, knocked out hospitals and other services and turned residential areas into war zones.
Tens of thousands of people, including Sudanese and citizens from neighboring countries, have fled.
On Saturday, Washington evacuated all of its government personnel from the US embassy in Khartoum and suspended operations there due to the security risks.
US evacuated government staff
Earlier on Monday, White House spokesman John Kirby said several dozen Americans were traveling overland in a United Nations-led convoy to Port Sudan and that the US military was helping to monitor it via unmanned aerial systems.
Blinken said some convoys that have tried to move people out encountered problems such as "robbery and looting." It was not immediately clear if those convoys included US citizens.
The United States, he said, was pressing Sudanese military leaders to extend and expand a ceasefire and that US 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.