New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to chair a high-level meeting to review his government’s efforts to evacuate citizens from the civil war-ravaged southeastern nation of Sudan.
According to officials, India is already in touch with relevant authorities in Sudan and other key global and regional key players to ensure safety and evacuation of Indians from Sudan.
Sudan’s general army and paramilitary forces, under two powerful generals, are battling it out in capital Khartoum and surrounding areas for control.
According to official government data, around 3,000 Indians are currently in Sudan, with logistical issues remaining, including the international airport in the capital being damaged.
Sudanese ambassador to India, Abdalla Omer Bashir Elhusain, has said that India’s request for evacuation is under discussion and consideration by authorities in Khartoum, who are assessing the security situation on the ground and how to make it possible.
Elhusain confirmed that senior Indian officials had reached out to him for the evacuation of its nationals, with discussions ongoing to exchange information about the stranded individuals and to make their return home possible in the coming days.
India has advised its citizens in Sudan to shelter in safe places amid the ongoing fighting, which has forced thousands to flee the capital.
Sudan army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo have ruled out negotiations, quashing hopes for a ceasefire. One Indian national has already been killed in the fighting.
The Indian embassy in Khartoum is operating from other areas as officials continue to track down every Indian national and provide support and counselling to those stranded. External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar has spoken to his Saudi, UAE, and Egyptian counterparts, as well as UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, to discuss the situation in Sudan.
PM Modi’s high-level meeting is expected to review the current situation and discuss potential measures to support and evacuate Indian nationals from Sudan.