New Delhi: Reflecting the significant influence of international players in Sudan’s latest bout of internecine fighting, India has been in touch with Saudi Arabia, UAE as well as the US and the UK to find a way to get stranded Indians out of Khartoum. The ongoing violence, which includes warplanes flying over the capital, has made it difficult for nations to retrieve their citizens because of restricted civilian movement and disrupted transportation links.
Since clashes erupted between two Sudanese military commanders, over 290 people, including an Indian national, have lost their lives. The two factions are currently vying for control of crucial government and military facilities, and the situation appears to be escalating towards a potential civil war.
A 24-hour-ceasefire called on Tuesday evening unravelled with the fighting continuing for a fifth day. Another day-long truce has been called on Wednesday, but it remains to be seen if it will halt the violence, even if temporarily.
Fourteen countries issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling for an immediate end to violence and urged Sudanese military leaders to engage in dialogue without delay. The signatories included the US, Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, and the UK.
The Embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Delegation of the European Union in Sudan unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms the…
— U.S. Embassy Khartoum (@USEmbassyKRT) April 19, 2023
The latest fighting that began on April 14 was triggered over the integration of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces – led by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo – into the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. But, the two generals have been at loggerheads after joining forces to derail the country’s path to civilian rule by seizing power in October 2021. The Sudanese military had earlier ousted long-time President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 after protestors rallied to the streets for democratic change.
However, instead of being shunned, the generals were being wooed by Western diplomats who wanted them to help in a transition towards democracy. As per the New York Times, the US never imposed sanctions that it had threatened to impose on Hamdan on his financial interests in West Asia.
Hamdan had apparently grown closer to Saudi Arabia and the UAE as he sent troops to fight in Yemen. With the Saudi and UAE leadership becoming more entangled in Sudan’s political establishment, they along with Egypt, began a high-profile Arab initiative to give back power to the former prime minister. As part of the initiative, the three Arab countries also courted the army chief Burhan to find a peace agreement.
Meanwhile, Russia had also taken the side of Hamdan since the Sudanese general was crucial in operations in gold smuggling, as per Western media reports. Moscow also wanted to dock Russian warships on the Red Sea ports of Sudan.
The rapid descent of Khartoum into a warzone is prompting questions about the effectiveness of the diplomatic roles of the foreign countries and the United Nations, who have been attempting to broker a compromise between the two sides for several months.
Before the conflict broke out, the Indian-origin community in the country was estimated to be around 1,500, dating back to a Gujarati trader travelling from Aden in 1856. In addition, there are around 2,500-3,000 Indian nationals in the country.
But, the current estimate of the Indian community in Khartoum is not known as the Indian government is cautious in providing any details that could be a security concern.
With the fighting having broken out without any warning on April 14, millions in Khartoum are trapped inside their homes with their food and water running out.
With the Internet largely down and mobile networks unstable, communications to establish a rescue mission is immensely difficult. The Indian embassy has set up WhatsApp groups to take the turn.
The Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar had spoken to the Saudi and UAE foreign ministers, who have “assured their practical support on the ground”.
“Our Ambassador in Washington DC and High Commissioner in London are in touch with their respective host Governments. We are also working with the UN, which has a substantial presence in Sudan,” said government sources.
However, the fighting is so intense that other countries have not yet begun any evacuation plans, with advisories insisting that everyone should stay indoors.
The US has already stated that it doesn’t plan to organise an evacuation as of now. Earlier, a US diplomatic convoy came under fire and the EU ambassador was assaulted in his residence.
“Situation on the street is very tense and movement is very risky at this stage. Our priority is safety of movement and well-being of individuals wherever they are located,” said Indian government sources, indicating that rescue plans were ruled out for now as the transport links were not safe.
Japan announced that it was going to send a military plane to bring back 60 citizens from Sudan, but it doesn’t seem likely to be mobilised soon.
German magazine Spiegel reported that a German military operation to evacuate roughly 150 citizens was forced to stop due to fighting in the Sudanese capital.