Indian aircraft, cruiser standby for Sudan evacuation |
An Indian Navy patrol ship is at the main seaport of Sudan to rescue and repatriate Indian citizens from the northeastern African nation. The Indian Air Force has two transport planes at the Saudi Arabia Defense base in Jeddah. But, unstable situation on the ground in Sudan has made any evacuation operation difficult and dangerous. A ceasefire for almost three days around the Muslim holy festival also did not result in any rescue operations. Fierce fighting continued between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Capital city of Khartoum and other parts of the country were subsumed by violence. The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said rescue measures are in place, but execution on the ground was prevented by intense fighting. All foreign aeroplanes are now prohibited from entering Sudanese airspace. Moving overland is risky and has logistical difficulties. The Indian Navy patrol ship, the INS Sumedha, ia at Port Sudan, around 813 kilometres from Khartoum. The Indian Air Force’s two C-130J transport planes waiting in Jeddah Islamic Port are just 173 nautical miles away. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government says it will spare no effort to secure the safety and security of the Indians who were stuck in Sudan. The MEA spokesman said India was closely monitoring the complex and changing security situation in Sudan. But, at rhe same time, India is also working closely with a number of allies to see what it can do to ensure the safe evacuation of any Indians who are trapped in Sudan. India is in touch constantly with the United Nations, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and the United States through the Embassy in Khartoum and also in Delhi. MEA says local Indians stranded in Sudan are in contact with the embassy that’s guides them on avoiding risks. India will avail the first safe means and methods to rescue its people from Khartoum city. The US and UK mounted air and lanf operations to pull out their diplomats and staff from Sudan. Germany, Canada, Italy, Turkey, Japan, Belgium, and the Netherlands are doing the same.
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