Express News Service
NEW DELHI: In its ongoing efforts to evacuate Indians stranded in strife-torn Sudan, the government has launched a rescue operation called Operation Kaveri. Naval ship INS Sumedha has been moved to a port in Sudan and will be used to bring these Indians back.
“Operation Kaveri gets underway to bring back our citizens stranded in Sudan. About 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan and more Indians are on their way,” said External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.
India has also parked two Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft (C130J) in Jeddah for early evacuation.
“Our ships and aircraft are set to bring them back home. We are committed to assist all our brethren in Sudan,” Jaishankar added.
Meanwhile, France has helped evacuate a few Indians out of Sudan.
“French evacuations are underway and on Sunday night we sent two military aircraft and evacuated 388 people from 28 countries, including India,” according to the French Embassy in Delhi.
It is learnt that France has evacuated five Indians. Some Indians have been evacuated by the US too, but most of them need to be brought back.
EXPLAINER | Why Sudan’s conflict matters to the rest of the world?
India is in touch with the UN, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and the US to help in evacuation.
“Crossing over the Red Sea into Jeddah is one option India is considering from where they can board the aircraft and fly back to India,” said a source.
Nearly 3000 Indian nationals are stranded in Sudan.
“Our embassy in Khartoum is in regular touch with the stranded Indians and is advising them on the viability of safe movement and the need to avoid unneccassary risk. It is also coordinating all possible assistance including possible exit from Khartoum city as and when the security situation permits safe movement,” said the MEA.
The situation became tense in Sudan on April 15 after the country’s army clashed with a powerful paramilitary force which claimed to have taken control of the airport and the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum.
This happened after failed negotiations between the army, paramilitary and civilian groups over a long-awaited power deal following a coup in 2021. The army is headed by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (who became President after a coup in October 2021) and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemeti) who is Sudan’s vice-president and commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The violence comes as a setback in a much delayed transition to a civilian government that followed the ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, after months of street protests. It is understood that there is a disagreement between the General and Hemeti over command and integration of the paramilitary force into the army.
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NEW DELHI: In its ongoing efforts to evacuate Indians stranded in strife-torn Sudan, the government has launched a rescue operation called Operation Kaveri. Naval ship INS Sumedha has been moved to a port in Sudan and will be used to bring these Indians back.
“Operation Kaveri gets underway to bring back our citizens stranded in Sudan. About 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan and more Indians are on their way,” said External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.
India has also parked two Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft (C130J) in Jeddah for early evacuation.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“Our ships and aircraft are set to bring them back home. We are committed to assist all our brethren in Sudan,” Jaishankar added.
Meanwhile, France has helped evacuate a few Indians out of Sudan.
“French evacuations are underway and on Sunday night we sent two military aircraft and evacuated 388 people from 28 countries, including India,” according to the French Embassy in Delhi.
It is learnt that France has evacuated five Indians. Some Indians have been evacuated by the US too, but most of them need to be brought back.
EXPLAINER | Why Sudan’s conflict matters to the rest of the world?
India is in touch with the UN, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and the US to help in evacuation.
“Crossing over the Red Sea into Jeddah is one option India is considering from where they can board the aircraft and fly back to India,” said a source.
Nearly 3000 Indian nationals are stranded in Sudan.
“Our embassy in Khartoum is in regular touch with the stranded Indians and is advising them on the viability of safe movement and the need to avoid unneccassary risk. It is also coordinating all possible assistance including possible exit from Khartoum city as and when the security situation permits safe movement,” said the MEA.
The situation became tense in Sudan on April 15 after the country’s army clashed with a powerful paramilitary force which claimed to have taken control of the airport and the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum.
This happened after failed negotiations between the army, paramilitary and civilian groups over a long-awaited power deal following a coup in 2021. The army is headed by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (who became President after a coup in October 2021) and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemeti) who is Sudan’s vice-president and commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The violence comes as a setback in a much delayed transition to a civilian government that followed the ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, after months of street protests. It is understood that there is a disagreement between the General and Hemeti over command and integration of the paramilitary force into the army.
ALSO READ:
Malayali man not allowed to bring pregnant Sudanese wife to India
So far no one has helped us, say India’s Hakki Pikki tribals stranded in Sudan
