Blinken: US engaging with Sudanese leaders, pressing to expand ceasefire

The United States is pressing Sudanese military leaders to expand a ceasefire and is exploring options to return a diplomatic consular presence to the country as soon as possible, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.He told a news conference with Kenyan Foreign Secretary Alfred Mutua that deteriorating security conditions in Khartoum posed unacceptable risks to keep personnel there at this time, and that the department was communicating with Americans in the country."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.He said 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."We also continue to engage directly... to press them to extend and expand" the ceasefire, Blinken said.Sudan's sudden slide into conflict between the army and a paramilitary group has sparked efforts by several countries, including the United States, to evacuate stranded nationals.Mutua said Kenya is not pulling its diplomats out of Sudan because it wants a presence as negotiations continue toward a peaceful settlement.