The United States in Sunday morning evacuated families and other non-essential personnel from its embassies in Sudan and Tunisia. The evacuation came in the wake of violent demonstrations against the U.S. in both countries. Sudan on Saturday rejected an American request to send U.S. troops to defend the American embassy in Khartoum. The government controlled Sudanese news agency quoted the country's foreign minister as saying that the Sudanese authorities could handle any threat to any diplomatic mission, and that the government was committed to doing so.

Over the weekend, U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden called on Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha to protect the lives of American diplomats in the country. “Vice President Biden reaffirmed the responsibility of the government of Sudan to protect diplomatic facilities and stressed the need for the Government of Sudan to ensure the protection of diplomats in Khartoum," the White House said in a statement.