Anxious relatives of several Indians stuck in Sudan following the fighting between the Army and paramilitary forces are eagerly waiting for information about their relatives and appealed to the government to evacuate them from the strife-torn African country as soon as possible.
Fighting erupted in Sudan on Saturday, leaving at least 185 people, including an Indian, dead and more than 1,800 injured.
Albert Augestine, a retired Indian soldier, was killed on April 15 when a stray bullet hit him while he was standing near the window of his flat in Khartoum.
Mansi Sheth, whose father is stuck in the country following the clashes between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary force, said she was worried about his safety.
She said her 63-year-old father was in Sudan on a business trip and was to fly back to Mumbai on Saturday (April 15). He was at the airport when they were informed that the flight was cancelled. He along with other passengers was not allowed to leave the airport. After some hours when they were allowed to leave the airport, they had to walk towards their hotels as there was no conveyance available.
“I am worried about my father as he is a senior citizen with health issues. I could briefly speak to him this morning (Wednesday), but after that, there is no contact. We just want to know if he is safe or not,” Sheth told news agency.
“He has sleep apnea that requires him to be on anti-seizure medication and he also uses a medical device (CPAP) which unfortunately was checked in at the airport on Saturday. That is the main reason why we are so desperate to get him out of Sudan because he only has enough medication for the next three days,” she said.
There is no power in many areas of the city and the hotel in which Sheth’s father is staying is running on a generator which has limited capacity.
Sheth said she also has some relatives in Sudan who told her that the security situation is very bad in the country and despite the announcement of a ceasefire, there is no cessation of violence.
India is coordinating closely with various countries, including the US, the UK and Saudi Arabia, to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals in violence-hit Sudan, government sources said in New Delhi on Wednesday.
They said the ground situation in Sudan is “very tense” and the movement of people is “very risky” at this stage.
Sheth said her relatives told her that Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is on a looting spree and even taking away residents’ cars.
People have been told to puncture their cars and empty their fuel tanks so that they can prevent the RSF from taking away their cars.
She said she has full faith in the government and urged the government to soon evacuate all the Indians stranded there.
The Indian Embassy in Sudan on Tuesday said, “We have come across many instances of looting. All Indian nationals are advised please not to venture out. Please ration your supplies.”
“The situation may continue for a few more days. Please try to take help from your neighbours. Please stay at home and remain safe,” the mission tweeted.
Several people whose relatives are stranded in the country took to Twitter to ask the government to evacuate them.
Meanwhile, the government said it is coordinating closely with various countries, including the US, the UK and Saudi Arabia. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has already spoken to his counterparts in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the situation in Sudan and they assured him practical support on the ground for the safety of the Indians in that country.
Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country’s army and a paramilitary group for the last six days that has reportedly left around 200 people dead.
India has been focusing on ensuring the safety of the Indians residing in Sudan.
The sources said India’s priority has been the safety of movement and well-being of Indians wherever they are located and that both the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian embassy in Khartoum are continuously monitoring the situation. At the same time they said “concerns of safety and security constrain us from putting out specific details.”
“India is coordinating closely with various countries to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals in Sudan. The Quartet countries of the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have a key role and we are engaging them accordingly,” said a source.
India is also working with the UN, which has a substantial presence in Sudan, the sources said.