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05/02/2023 07:07 PM EDT
Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson
1:25 p.m. EDT
MR PATEL: Good morning, everybody – or good afternoon, rather, I’d say. I actually have nothing off the top today, so Matt, if you want to go ahead and kick us off.
[]QUESTION: Yeah, I mean, I don’t have a lot. Only if you have anything to add to the evacuation operation situation in Sudan.
MR PATEL: I do have a new metric to share today that is in line with some of your questioning yesterday. But if you’ll allow me, I will – let me use this opportunity to reiterate again that over this – course of this past weekend, through the three convoys that the U.S. Government coordinated, 70 individuals – 700, sorry, I apologize – 700 individuals were able to depart Khartoum. Over the course of this crisis, we have messaged and communicated with approximately 5,000 U.S. citizens in Sudan who were interested in communicating and seeking guidance from the American Government. And as I said yesterday, since the violence began, the U.S. Government, in tandem with allies and partners, have helped facilitate the departure of over 1,000 U.S. citizens from Sudan.
A little bit more specific for that for you, Matt: We can confirm that our consulate in Jeddah has welcomed and offered consular services to more than 350 American citizens and Legal Permanent Residents in – who have departed Sudan safely and have made their way through Jeddah. I will note that this is from the various modalities that have been available to people seeking to depart Sudan over the course of – since this violence intensified, not specifically just from this weekend’s convoys.
QUESTION: Okay. So – and I really don’t want to harp on this, because I know it’s kind of a – kind of getting into the weeds. But the 700 who have been able to leave in the three convoys are a mix of American citizens, LPRs, locally employed staff, and some —
MR PATEL: American citizens, locally employed staff, LPRs, and citizens from other allied and partner countries.
QUESTION: And the 1,000 figure that you say – since the fighting began, is –
MR PATEL: U.S. citizens.
QUESTION: Just U.S. citizens?
MR PATEL: Just U.S. citizens.
QUESTION: So – well, then how many of 700 are not U.S. citizens?
MR PATEL: I don’t have a breakdown for you of the convoy manifests yet, Matt. Just – I’m not able to parse the data further. If that changes in the coming days, we’ll of course be in touch. But what we can say is that the three convoys that took place over the course of this weekend safely moved 700 individuals from Khartoum to Port Sudan.
QUESTION: Okay. And so there’s those 700 from the three convoys, and then another 300 that came out on the evac flight two weeks ago.
MR PATEL: The – which 300 are you speaking to?
QUESTION: So a total of 1,000 –
MR PATEL: Yes, the 1,000 is just –
QUESTION: And if I subtract 700 from that –
MR PATEL: The 700 is not American – fully American citizens, as I said.
QUESTION: Okay. So 1,700 people –
MR PATEL: Okay, let’s take a step back. Let’s take a step back.
QUESTION: Well, this is why I – this is –
MR PATEL: This is why –
QUESTION: It’s being – I’m more – it’s more confusing than it needs to be.
MR PATEL: Okay. I don’t know about that. Let’s take a step back. Since over the course of this crisis, we have communicated with 5,000 American citizens who have sought to seek communication and be in touch with the American Government – not necessarily depart Sudan, but be in touch with us. Of that population, a fraction have sought to safely depart Sudan. Since the violence began, we can confirm through our mechanisms, through mechanisms of allies and partners, we have facilitated the departure of over 1,000 U.S. citizens from Sudan.
This three convoys that took place over the course of this past weekend assisted 700 individuals made up of American citizens, of LPRs, of locally employed staff, of citizens of allied and partner countries as well.
QUESTION: Okay. So –
MR PATEL: And then – break, break – over the course of this crisis, our consulate in Jeddah has welcome and offered consular services of more than 350 American citizens and LPRs from Sudan who have made their way to safety to Jeddah.
QUESTION: Okay. So can I – and I won’t belabor this, but – so 1,700 people, whether they’re U.S. citizens or not, that’s – that’s the number that you guys have either evacuated directly on the flights from two weeks ago, or on the convoys?
MR PATEL: If you’re adding those two numbers up together, that is correct, but that is not necessarily the full totality of the population of American citizens —
QUESTION: No, I know. But —
MR PATEL: — who have gotten to safety.
QUESTION: But that’s where we are – that’s where we are right now.
MR PATEL: Correct.
QUESTION: Thank you.
MR PATEL: If you add those two numbers together, yeah.
QUESTION: Follow-up on Sudan?
MR PATEL: Yeah. Go ahead, Daphne.
QUESTION: South Sudan said that the generals have agreed to a new longer, seven-day ceasefire. Have you been in communication with the generals about this?
MR PATEL: I don’t have any specific diplomatic engagements to read out, Daphne, but we of course have remained in close touch with General Burhan and General Hemedti through various levels here at the State Department, and we have continued to call for the adherence and extension of this ceasefire in hopes of it getting to a durable, workable cessation of hostilities that gets us back in line with the will of the Sudanese people, which is a transitional government rooted in democracy.
QUESTION: How are you going to get them to actually adhere to the ceasefire, as the fighting has continued despite the different ceasefires that have been announced?
MR PATEL: No ceasefire is perfect, but what we feel confident about is that these ceasefires – the subsequent ones, including this most recent extension – have led to a reduction in violence. And they have led to a reduction in violence that have allowed, specifically I might add, for some of these operations to be conducted that have allowed allied and partner countries to evacuate their own citizens. It’s allowed us to play an integral role in those efforts, through ISR overwatch and other mechanisms. It’s also allowed us to coordinate the three convoys that we spoke about over this – course of this past weekend.
Yeah, go ahead.
QUESTION: Two follow-ups on – two questions with my friends and colleagues here. And I’ll start by the same one. Usually you welcome ceasefires, but here, you appear to be very cautious with this one announced from South Sudan, at which the two sides, by the way, have not – as far I know – spoken to it. So why is that? Are you worried that —
MR PATEL: No. Leon, I would not overread into my comments. I don’t have a confirmation to offer on this latest announcement. But were it to be true, it’s something that we, of course, would welcome. Because again, we have felt that ceasefires and the extension of them have given us – created opportunities for two things: first, of course, allowed for the security conditions for the safe departure of American citizens, American personnel, and citizens and personnel of allied and partner countries; but also it – every time that the ceasefire is extended, it allows us to continue to work, hand in hand, through the auspices of the Quad, through the auspices of the AU, IGAD, and the UN, to get us to a durable cessation of hostilities that will hopefully take us back to what we believe is the will of the Sudanese people, and that is a transitional government.
QUESTION: So in this specific announcement, a seven-day ceasefire, you have not been involved? I mean, the State Department?
MR PATEL: We have been involved. I just don’t have any specific updates to offer. Don’t have any updates to offer from the State Department on this specifically.
QUESTION: And just to follow up to your questions, Matt, on the – sorry – on the numbers —
MR PATEL: Sure.
QUESTION: You literally said – and this is why I need to clarify, because you said it both ways. You literally said that approximately – you were messaged and communicated with approximately 5,000 U.S. citizens in Sudan.
MR PATEL: Correct. Correct.
QUESTION: So there are at a minimum 5,000 U.S. citizens in Sudan?
MR PATEL: There – we are in touch with 5,000 American citizens in Sudan who have sought to seek communication from the U.S. Government.
QUESTION: But it was my understanding in previous conversations that we had that they could be from anywhere, basically it’s on the website. Today you’re saying they’re in Sudan. So —
MR PATEL: Of course, Leon – of course, Leon, the crisis intake form is a public form. But we feel confident in the data analysis that we’ve undertaken, and the deduping of data that we’ve undertaken, that these – there are – this population of individuals who have sought to communicate with the U.S. Government.
Said.
QUESTION: Very quickly, just to follow up. So whatever talks or interlocution that is taking place now is really totally focused on a ceasefire, correct? Possibly for seven days, and that’s what the government of South Sudan said, or there are some talks in – possibly in Saudi Arabia, but nothing beyond that. Are you proposing any kind of timetable or calendar on how you will go back to that local transition, that transition that was so much talked about?
MR PATEL: Said, both things can be true. We can continue to call for and seek the extension of these ceasefires while also working a process to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities and humanitarian arrangements that we believe will be beneficial to the country and to the Sudanese people. To support a durable end to this fighting, the United States, from all levels of this department, are coordinating with regional and international partners and Sudanese civilian stakeholders to assist in the creation of a committee to oversee the negotiation conclusion and an implementation of a permanent cessation of hostilities. Extension of a ceasefire, we believe, are steps that will continue to help get us in that direction.
QUESTION: Right. But you don’t – I mean, the —
MR PATEL: I don’t have specific updates for you, Said. But —
QUESTION: The Government does not have something – this – the U.S. Government does not have something, the step one, step two, step three, step four, going back to where we were?
MR PATEL: Not anything that I am going to read out or parse from here. We continue to be deeply engaged on this and are working collaboratively with relevant partners.
Camilla.
QUESTION: Thank you. Back to what Leon was asking about the 5,000 figure, the reason, I think, he flagged you said in Sudan was just because yesterday you said 5,000 U.S. citizens have sought our guidance, but you didn’t give a geographic specification of where those people were. So when you say you’re confident in the data analysis and where those people are, has something changed from yesterday to today where you can determine that those thousands of people are in Sudan?
MR PATEL: There’s been no specific change over – from yesterday to today. We just – as I said, this is an iterative process as we continue to communicate with American citizens and continue to communicate with those who are seeking our guidance that we feel confident in this number that we’ve spoken about before being fewer than 5,000 of being American citizens in Sudan.
QUESTION: Is it now the belief that a majority of those people are in Sudan? Because —
MR PATEL: We believe that – those – that population of people are in Sudan.
QUESTION: And it still stands that the thousand Americans that have got out —
MR PATEL: Since the violence started.
QUESTION: — you don’t necessarily know whether that’s part of 5,000 because they haven’t necessarily pre-registered?
MR PATEL: Correct, correct.
QUESTION: And then I just have a question about the current ceasefire. Are you – do you feel like this current ceasefire provides the same or similar conditions as the previous one in terms of the conditions that you’ve spoken about being demand and security conditions for a possible other convoy? Is it the same or is it —
MR PATEL: I don’t have any additional updates to offer on a potential future convoy. At this time, we have no additional convoys planned, but we’re continuing to assess the demand for safe departure from American citizens as well as what the security conditions on the ground both in Khartoum and Port Sudan, what those conditions will allow. So I’m not going to get ahead of hat assessment process. However, we continue to believe that broadly a ceasefire continues to allow for security conditions that will help us get civilians to safety. It’ll allow those conditions to persist.
QUESTION: Vedant.
MR PATEL: Jenny, and then I’ll come back to you, Michel.
QUESTION: Have you seen any update – uptick in the number of Americans who have been seeking to get assistance leaving Sudan? I know you’ve said some people have reached out just for information. Have you seen a lot of folks changing their mind?
MR PATEL: I don’t have a specific metric to add on it, Jenny. When we have had modalities for American citizens and others to get to safety, we have communicated those. Whether they are, for example, this past weekend the three convoy movements that the U.S. Government helped facilitate, or when we are aware of flights – seats on flights being undertook by some of our partners and allies, as well as seats that might be available in other convoy movements, we’ve done our best to ensure that those are being communicated to American citizens so they have all the options at the table and they can make the best decisions for themselves and their families.
QUESTION: And are there plans to dispatch the Brunswick or other U.S. naval assets to keep ferrying people from Port Sudan to Jeddah?
MR PATEL: I will let my colleagues at the Pentagon speak to any specific asset movements. But what I will say is that, as you saw over the weekend, of course, the Brunswick played an integral role in helping move American citizens and other individuals to safety. And so we’ll continue to look at all options. And of course, at Port Sudan there continue to be a number of options available for those seeking safety, including commercial ferries.
QUESTION: And sorry, last one. Is it still your understanding that only two Americans have been killed as a result of —
MR PATEL: That’s my understanding. I have no additional updates at this time.
Michel.
QUESTION: Is Ambassador Godfrey and the diplomatic delegation still in Washington, and what are they doing?
MR PATEL: I don’t have – for obviously privacy reasons, I don’t have specific updates to offer. Obviously, Ambassador Godfrey has been someone who has been deeply, deeply engaged in this issue. As you know, we of course suspended operations at our embassy, and so the diplomatic presence that we have there is currently on hold and the team is back in Washington. But I don’t have – I’m not going to read a checklist of what those individuals are up to at this time. A lot of them continue to be deeply engaged on our engagements with Sudanese military and civilian leaders, but obviously they have had a fairly harrowing experience as well.
Still on this topic before we move away?
QUESTION: Yes.
MR PATEL: On Sudan?
QUESTION: Yes. Yes.
MR PATEL: Go ahead.
QUESTION: Are you in touch with other officials, not the military – I mean not Burhan or Hemedti? Are you in touch with Hamdok, for example?
MR PATEL: I’m not going to read out the specific groups or entities or individuals that we’re engaged in, but part of this has been a robust dialogue and engagement with not just Sudanese military leaders but Sudanese civilian stakeholders as well who are also committed to helping us see these ceasefires extended.
Alex, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thanks, Vedant. Moving to a different region?
MR PATEL: Sure, go ahead.
QUESTION: On Azerbaijan-Armenia, do you have any update on the second day of the ministerial?
MR PATEL: []I don’t have any updates for you, Alex. We remain committed to this process and remain committed to promoting a peaceful future in the South Caucasus. We believe that direct dialogue is key to resolving the issues, but I’m just not going to get ahead of the meetings themselves.
QUESTION: Since it’s happening behind closed doors, can you help us set the stage? So who is behind the table? We have two ministers. Who else is there?
MR PATEL: There are a number of – obviously, the – I will let these two countries speak to their own delegations. But we obviously have had a number of officials from the U.S. side deeply engaged on this. Obviously, Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Lou Bono has been deeply engaged in this not just through these meetings but through his continued engagement in the South Caucuses. You know that Secretary Blinken attended the plenary session yesterday morning and had the opportunity to host these ministers for a dinner Sunday night. And so it’s something that we will continue to be deeply engaged on.
QUESTION: Is the Secretary still trying to meet with the ministers —
MR PATEL: I don’t want to get ahead of the schedule this week, Alex, and we’ll just let these meetings and engagements take part and take them day by day.
QUESTION: And last one. Just more broadly, how close do you expect the sides to move towards each other at the end of this time?
MR PATEL: Again, Alex, I’m just not going to get into a hypothetical. We’re going to let this process play out before offering any comment or punditry, if you will.
QUESTION: Thank you. My second topic, if you don’t mind, press freedom. The Secretary yesterday told Ben Hall that we remain in contact through our embassy, embassy when it comes to Evan’s case. Has there been any contact recently?
MR PATEL: []I don’t have specific updates to offer, Alex. As you know, Ambassador Tracy had the opportunity to be present for Evan’s sham hearing about two weeks ago. That same week, she also had the opportunity to offer him a consular visit in addition to consular officers from Moscow. And so in every engagement with the Russian Federation we have been very clear that both Even Gershkovich and Paul Whelan are being wrongfully detained and need to be released immediately and be offered consistent and regular consular access in line with what our consular convention is with the Russian Federation.
QUESTION: Just to confirm, the Secretary was present at the Correspondents’ Dinner last weekend where both Evan’s parents and also Austin Tice’s parents were present? Did the Secretary have a chance to come and visit?
MR PATEL: I believe the Secretary did have an opportunity to spend some time with – briefly with Evan’s family. I of course am not going to get into the specifics of that as it was a very private moment, but I’ll see if we have any specific updates about his other engagement as well.
QUESTION: And last on Austin Tice. It has been a year since we have heard from the administration entertaining some real action on this case. Any update on whatever’s happened with it throughout this year?
MR PATEL: []Let me say a couple of things on that, Alex. We are engaging extensively to try and get Austin home. We have and will continue to pursue every channel we can to seek his safe return to his family, and we will continue to do so. And that means discussing this case with a number of countries in the region, and we’re going to continue to keep working until he returns to the United States.
As President Biden said and as he said as recently as this weekend, we will not cease our efforts to find Austin and bring him home.