Sudan violence: Two Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130J aircraft are currently on standby in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah while INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday (April 23) while giving details of preparations to evacuate Indians stranded in conflict-hit Sudan.
“The Government of India is making all-out efforts to ensure the safety and security of Indians stranded in Sudan. We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan,” the MEA said in a statement. The Ministry further said that they are also coordinating closely with various partners for the safe movement of those Indians who are stranded in Sudan and would like to be evacuated.
MEA in touch with UN, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, US
“Apart from the Sudanese authorities, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Sudan are also in regular touch with the UN, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and US among others,” it said.
‘Overland movement has risks and logistical challenges’
It said that as part of our preparations, and in order to move swiftly, the Government of India is pursuing multiple options. “Two Indian Air Force C-130J are currently positioned on standby in Jeddah. And, INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan. Contingency plans are in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation, which continues to be volatile with reports of fierce fighting at various locations in Khartoum,” it said.
However, Sudanese airspace is currently closed for all foreign aircraft. “Overland movement also has risks and logistical challenges. Our Embassy is in regular touch with the stranded Indians in Sudan and is advising them on the viability of safe movement and the need to avoid unnecessary risk. It is also coordinating all possible assistance including possible exit from Khartoum city as and when the security situation permits safe movement,” it added.
Saudi Arabia evacuated people from Sudan
Earlier on Saturday, Saudi Arabia evacuated around 150 people from Sudan in the first search operation. Around 91 were Saudi nationals and 66 were foreign nations, including some Indians. The people were evacuated via a naval ship. Saudi Arabia ministry, in a statement, announced the "safe arrival" of 91 Saudi citizens and around 66 nationals representing the following nationalities Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina. Faso.
Meanwhile, the Sudanese Army has assured that it has been coordinating efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and diplomats from the country on military aircraft, as the fighting entered its second week. Army chief General Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan after speaking with the leaders of several countries that had requested help. The prospect has vexed officials as most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital, Khartoum, has proven intensely dangerous.
About Sudan violence
Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group for the last six days that has reportedly left over 400 people dead. Sudan's military captured power in a coup in October 2021 and it has been running the country through a sovereign council since then. There has been a dispute between the Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over a proposed timeline for handing over power to a civilian government.
The Sudanese military a day earlier ruled out negotiations with the RSF, saying it would only accept its surrender, and on Friday it claimed to be clearing RSF positions from around Khartoum. The military appeared to have the upper hand in the fighting, with its monopoly on air power, but it was impossible to confirm its claims of advances. The two generals vying for control over the vast African nation — Burhan and his rival, RSF chief Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo — have sought to portray themselves as supporters of democracy. In 2019, they turned against long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir and pushed him out of power amid a popular uprising against his rule.
The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of atrocities in crushing a rebellion in Sudan's western Darfur region in the early 2000s. The current explosion of violence between them came after Burhan and Dagalo fell out over a recent internationally brokered deal with democracy activists that was meant to incorporate the RSF into the military and eventually lead to civilian rule. The fighting continued to frustrate efforts by nations to evacuate their nationals from Sudan.
