Hundreds of Americans fleeing two weeks of deadly fighting in Sudan reached the east African nation's port Saturday in the first US-run evacuation, completing a dangerous land journey under escort of armed drones. American unmanned aircraft, which have been keeping an eye on overland evacuation routes for days, provided armed overwatch for a bus convoy carrying 200 to 300 Americans over 800 km to Port Sudan, a place of relative safety, US officials said. The US, which had none of its officials on the ground for the evacuation, has been criticised by families of trapped Americans in Sudan for initially ruling out any US-run evacuation for Americans who wanted out, calling it too dangerous.