With many Indians stranded in violence-hit Sudan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Friday to take stock of the situation, government sources said.
The meeting saw the presence of many senior ministers and diplomats. Among them were Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar, foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Indian Ambassador to Egypt Ajit Gupte, a representative from the Ministry of Defence and the Chief of Naval Staff.
During the meeting, the prime minister reviewed the latest developments in violence-hit Sudan. While he received a first-hand report of the conditions on the ground he laid emphasis on the safety and security of over 3,000 Indian citizens stuck in the African nation.
In addition, PM Modi expressed his condolences for the loss of the Indian national who unfortunately died last week in the crossfire. He further ordered all concerned authorities to exercise extreme caution and keep track of the developments while constantly assessing the safety of Indian people too.
The Indian PM also urged the officials to provide the stuck Indians with any kind of aid they require.
PM Modi gave instructions for the creation of contingency evacuation plans and check for other options to ensure the safety of Indians in this volatile situation. He emphasised the need of keeping strong ties with nations in the area that border Sudan and also with those that have a sizable diaspora of residents living there.
About 3000 Indians are currently estimated to be in Sudan. The Indian government has issued three advisories to warn citizens to take shelter and exercise caution. One Indian has died so far in the crossfire.
This comes after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar raised the matter with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres when he met him in New York. In the talks, Jaishankar sought to resolve the Sudan crisis and protect Indians there.
“We, of course, have obviously a very strong interest in the matter because there are so many Indians there,” Jaishankar said on Thursday following his meeting with Guterres.
Jaishankar made an unannounced visit to New York at a time when he was scheduled for visits to Latin American nations. “You could immediately see that this (Sudan situation) was very serious and a lot of (our) people were trapped by the situation,” the EAM said.
“The UN is at the heart of the efforts to establish a ceasefire. And that is really the key because at the moment, unless there is a ceasefire and unless there are corridors, it is not safe for people to come out,” he added while speaking to reporters in New York.
Meanwhile, in a significant development Friday, Sudan’s paramilitary agreed to a 72-hour “humanitarian truce” as the Muslim community marks Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, during which devotees fast from dawn to dusk.
“The truce coincides with the blessed Eid al-Fitr…to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens and give them the opportunity to greet their families,” said the RSF, on Twitter. This comes as the Sudanese capital of Khartoum continued to be rocked by bombing and shelling on Friday, reported Reuters.
“At this moment, when citizens are preparing to receive the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the neighbourhoods of Khartoum are waking up to the bombings of aircrafts and heavy artillery in a sweeping attack that is directly targeting residential neighbourhoods,” said RSF on Friday. Hundreds of people have lost their lives in the power struggle between RSF and the Sudanese Army.
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According to UN numbers, about 10,000 to 20,000 people took shelter in neighbouring Chad. “There was a strong consensus on condemning ongoing fighting in Sudan and calling for cessation of hostilities as an immediate priority,” said Guterres, following a meeting with the heads of the African Union, the Arab League and other organisations on Thursday.
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