India starts evacuating citizens from war-torn Sudan
1 min read . Updated: 24 Apr 2023, 11:15 PM IST
PremiumChristened Operation Kaveri, the evacuation of 500 Indians, gathered in Port Sudan, is imminent, according to Jaishankar.
New Delhi: India has started evacuating its citizens from Sudan, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Monday amid continuing violence between rival armed factions.
Christened Operation Kaveri, the evacuation of 500 Indians, gathered in Port Sudan, is imminent, according to Jaishankar. More evacuations are expected in the coming days as the crisis in Sudan deepens.
This development comes after the US and France rushed to pull out their diplomatic personnel from the North African country, which is seeing fighting between the army and paramilitary forces.
France also took the step of pulling out its citizens and those of numerous foreign nations. “Last night, two military flight rotations evacuated 388 people of 28 countries, including Indian nationals," stated the French Embassy in New Delhi in a tweet.
This development comes on the heels of days of intense diplomatic activity from New Delhi. Government officials indicated that India was in consultation with the US, UK, Saudi Arabia and UAE to ensure the safety of its nationals.
Jaishankar also spoke with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt to discuss the situation in Sudan. During a brief visit to New York en route to Latin America, Jaishankar discussed developments in Sudan with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Fighting has continued despite reports that ceasefire agreements during Eid had been concluded. Violence erupted on 15 April 15 after a power struggle between two of the country’s most powerful military figures spilled on to the streets of Sudan, including the capital Khartoum.
An Indian citizen was killed by a stray bullet as a result of the fighting, according to India’s Embassy in Sudan.
According to media reports, around 20,000 people have fled from Sudan to neighbouring Chad.