Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security of over 3,000 Indian citizens stuck in the violence-hit Sudan and directed the officials to prepare contingency evacuation plans. He also expressed grief over the death of an Indian national, Albert Augestine, who tragically fell victim to a stray bullet in the strife-torn African country.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Ambassador of India to Sudan BS Mubarak, and other senior officials were present at the briefing.
“During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi assessed the most recent developments in Sudan and received a first-hand report of the conditions on the ground, with a specific focus on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens presently located throughout the country,” an official release from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
He instructed all relevant officials to remain vigilant, closely monitoring developments and continuously evaluating the safety of Indian nationals in Sudan and extending them all possible assistance.
The Prime Minister also emphasised the importance of maintaining close communication with neighboring countries in the region, as well as those with significant numbers of citizens in Sudan.
A report by CNN-News18 said that India is ready with a contingency plan to rescue citizens from Sudan.
Jaishankar stopped over in New York on his way to Latin American countries on Thursday and discussed the situation in Sudan with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
People familiar with the developments told CNN-News18 that the government is making all efforts to coordinate the safety of Indian citizens stuck in Sudan.
On Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the Indian Embassy in Sudan falls under the “fighting zone” and advised the stranded Indian nationals to avoid visiting there saying that there are no officials present inside the building.
“We are in readiness. We are in close touch with our teams on the ground but it all depends on how long there is a ceasefire in fighting and safe locations available for evacuation… The situation on the ground continues to be very tense. Our focus is on ensuring the safety of the individuals. We are in touch with people through different channels,” Bagchi said during a press conference.
Over 200 people have died and 2,000 have been injured since April 15 as armed forces chief General Abdel-Fattah Burhan and the head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo fight to take control of the resource-rich African nation.
The situation is tense because the Sudanese military and the RSF are now deployed in full capacity in Khartoum and calls for ceasefire due to the festival of Eid has failed to deter the parties engaged in conflict.
(with inputs from Shalinder Wangu)
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