Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The US has managed to evacuate all its diplomatic personnel out of Sudan and suspended its operations in Khartoum.
The US and UK announced on Sunday they had flown diplomats out of the country, BBC reports.
Meanwhile, India is preparing to evacuate its 3000 nationals (some of whom were evacuated by Saudi Arabia on Saturday).
Saudi Arabia is a safer option for evacuation as they have been able to evacuate their nationals and also nationals of many other countries. The evacuation operations have been done via the Red Sea and is what India too is relying upon.
“Once Indians reach Jeddah they can be flown back to India in the two Indian Air Force aircraft (C130J) parked in Jeddah. A ship (INS Sumedha) too has been anchored in the Sudan port for evacuation. The airport in Khartoum hasn’t got any international operations. Indian embassy is very close to the airport and is in proximity of the shelling and clashes,’’ say sources.
External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, had on Tuesday spoken to his counterpart in Saudi Arabia and asked for help in evacuating Indians stuck there.
“The Indian government has kept two Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft on standby in Jeddah and also one ship INS Sumedha parked on the port of Sudan. We are gearing up for evacuating our citizens. We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan,’’ according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
India is also in touch with other nations like Egypt, UK, UAE and US to help with the evacuation process.
“The Indian embassy is functional. However, it is very close to the airport at Khartoum where a lot of shelling is taking place we are extremely cautious. Our control room in Delhi is facilitating family members with all information they need for their family in Sudan,’’ according to MEA’s spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
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. Sudanese airspace currently remains 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,’’ according to MEA.
Meanwhile, the situation became tense in Sudan on April 15th after the country’s army clashed with a powerful paramilitary force that claimed to have taken control of the airport and the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum.
This happened after failed negotiations between army, paramilitary and civilian groups over a long-awaited power deal following a coup that happened in 2021. The army 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.
NEW DELHI: The US has managed to evacuate all its diplomatic personnel out of Sudan and suspended its operations in Khartoum.
The US and UK announced on Sunday they had flown diplomats out of the country, BBC reports.
Meanwhile, India is preparing to evacuate its 3000 nationals (some of whom were evacuated by Saudi Arabia on Saturday).googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Saudi Arabia is a safer option for evacuation as they have been able to evacuate their nationals and also nationals of many other countries. The evacuation operations have been done via the Red Sea and is what India too is relying upon.
“Once Indians reach Jeddah they can be flown back to India in the two Indian Air Force aircraft (C130J) parked in Jeddah. A ship (INS Sumedha) too has been anchored in the Sudan port for evacuation. The airport in Khartoum hasn’t got any international operations. Indian embassy is very close to the airport and is in proximity of the shelling and clashes,’’ say sources.
External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, had on Tuesday spoken to his counterpart in Saudi Arabia and asked for help in evacuating Indians stuck there.
“The Indian government has kept two Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft on standby in Jeddah and also one ship INS Sumedha parked on the port of Sudan. We are gearing up for evacuating our citizens. We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan,’’ according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
India is also in touch with other nations like Egypt, UK, UAE and US to help with the evacuation process.
“The Indian embassy is functional. However, it is very close to the airport at Khartoum where a lot of shelling is taking place we are extremely cautious. Our control room in Delhi is facilitating family members with all information they need for their family in Sudan,’’ according to MEA’s spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
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. Sudanese airspace currently remains 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,’’ according to MEA.
Meanwhile, the situation became tense in Sudan on April 15th after the country’s army clashed with a powerful paramilitary force that claimed to have taken control of the airport and the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum.
This happened after failed negotiations between army, paramilitary and civilian groups over a long-awaited power deal following a coup that happened in 2021. The army 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.
