Sudan crisis: Anxious families whose members are stranded in violence-hit Sudan are eagerly waiting for information about their relatives. They appealed to the government to evacuate them from the strife-torn African country as soon as possible. Fighting erupted in Sudan on Saturday, leaving at least 185 people, including an Indian, dead and more than 1,800 injured.
What Karnataka govt said
Davanagere DM Shivanand Kapashi said we have come to know that 39 people are stranded in Sudan's war-hit area.
"We are in touch with them. All of them are in touch with Indian Embassy. I requested their family members to have some strength and follow the directions given by Indian Embassy," he added.
Worried relatives' appeal
Albert Augestine, a retired Indian soldier, was killed on April 15 when a stray bullet hit him while he was standing near the window of his flat in Khartoum.
Mansi Sheth, whose father is stuck in the country following the clashes between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary force, said she was worried about his safety.
She said her 63-year-old father was in Sudan on a business trip and was to fly back to Mumbai on Saturday (April 15). He was at the airport when they were informed that the flight was cancelled.
He along with other passengers was not allowed to leave the airport. After some hours when they were allowed to leave the airport, they had to walk towards their hotels as there was no conveyance available.
"I am worried about my father as he is a senior citizen with health issues. I could briefly speak to him this morning (Wednesday), but after that, there is no contact. We just want to know if he is safe or not," Sheth told PTI.
"He has sleep apnea that requires him to be on anti-seizure medication and he also uses a medical device (CPAP) which unfortunately was checked in at the airport on Saturday. That is the main reason why we are so desperate to get him out of Sudan because he only has enough medication for the next three days," she said.
There is no power in many areas of the city and the hotel in which Sheth's father is staying is running on a generator which has limited capacity.
Sheth said she also has some relatives in Sudan who told her that the security situation is very bad in the country and despite the announcement of a ceasefire, there is no cessation of violence.
India is coordinating closely with various countries, including the US, the UK and Saudi Arabia, to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals in violence-hit Sudan, government sources said in New Delhi on Wednesday.
They said the ground situation in Sudan is "very tense" and the movement of people is "very risky" at this stage.
What MEA said
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has already spoken to his counterparts in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over the situation in Sudan and they assured him of practical support on the ground for the safety of the Indians in that country.
Sheth said her relatives told her that Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is on a looting spree and even taking away residents' cars.
People have been told to puncture their cars and empty their fuel tanks so that they can prevent the RSF from taking away their cars.
She said she has full faith in the government and urged the government to soon evacuate all the Indians stranded there.
Another woman, who did not want to be identified, told PTI that her husband is stuck at a hotel in Khartoum. She said guests of the hotel are hiding in the hotel basement to save their lives.
"There is jungle raj in Sudan. There is no value for life in the country. Soldiers are indulged in looting and kidnapping. There is no government in the country," she said but did not share details about her husband due to security reasons.
The woman said Indians stranded in hotels are fearing for their safety and they are at the mercy of hotel staff. "As there is looting happening everywhere the hotels have a limited supply of food, and there is no electricity and Internet services. Hotels can shut their operation if the situation worsens and these people will not have any place to go," she said.
She shared that there are some people in the hotel waiting to go back to India for medical treatment. "The Indian government is making all-out efforts to safely evacuate its citizens," she said and shared that the Ministry of External Affairs personnel contacted her after she shared the ordeal on her Twitter account.
"The danger is real. The situation is showing no signs of getting better or settling down. Our only appeal to the government is to evacuate its nationals as soon as possible," she said, adding that the Indian government was quick in responding to their queries.
Indians in Sudan
Out of about 4,000 Indians in Sudan, the settled Indian community in Sudan is now about 1,200, which is there for about 150 years. Other expatriate Indian community members are working as professionals in key sectors of the Sudanese economy. There are a few Indians working in the UN Missions and other international organisations.
Sudanese army, its rivals announce another cease-fire
Terrified Sudanese who have been trapped for days in their homes by fighting in the capital of Khartoum fled on Wednesday, hauling out whatever belongings they could carry and trying to get out of the city, as the military and its paramilitary rival made a new attempt at a 24-hour cease-fire after a failed truce the day before.
The two sides separately announced that they would abide by the new halt in fighting that took effect Wednesday evening. Residents reported that sporadic sporadic gunfire and explosions could still be heard, pointing to the fragility of the efforts.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday called for both sides to stand by the truce, “renounce violence and return to negotiations. ” She said the country's two top generals, whose forces have turned the capital into a war zone for the past five days ”are responsible for ensuring the protection of civilians and non combatants.”
(With agencies input)
