India has launched Operation Kaveri to rescue its citizens stranded in war-torn Sudan, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday. Jaishankar said the government was "committed to assist all our bretheren in Sudan". The government has said it was focusing on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens presently located throughout Sudan.
"Operation Kaveri gets underway to bring back our citizens stranded in Sudan. About 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan. More on their way. Our ships and aircraft are set to bring them back home," Jaishankar tweeted.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan would be in charge of supervising Operation Kaveri, which was launched by the union government to return Indians trapped in Sudan due to violence.
At the Yuvam Conclave, Modi stated that a son from Kerala, Muraleedharan, would be in charge of the evacuation.
India said on Sunday that it had positioned two transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah and a naval ship at a key port in Sudan as part of its contingency plans to bring back stranded Indians. The launch of the Sudan evacuation operation was announced earlier in the day by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The government said on Friday that it was concentrating on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens who are currently scattered throughout Sudan.
For the past 11 days, the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group have been engaged in bloody combat, reportedly killing over 400 people.
It stated that the security situation in Sudan remained "volatile" despite reports of intense fighting emanating from a variety of locations in Khartoum, the nation's capital.
"As part of our preparations, and in order to move swiftly, the Government of India is pursuing multiple options," the MEA said in a statement on Sunday.
"Two Indian Air Force C-130J are currently positioned on standby in Jeddah. And, INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan," it said.
"Contingency plans are in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation, which continues to be volatile with reports of fierce fighting at various locations in Khartoum," the MEA said.
Sudan has been seeing destructive battle between the nation's military and a paramilitary group for the last 10 days that has purportedly left around 400 individuals dead.
The MEA said India is putting forth full scale attempts to guarantee the wellbeing and security of Indians abandoned in Sudan.
"We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan," it said.
The MEA said India is additionally coordinating closely with various partners for the protected development of those Indians who are abandoned in Sudan and might want to be evacuated.
The MEA and the Indian embassy in Sudan, in addition to the Sudanese authorities, communicate frequently with the United Nations, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, the United States, and others.
According to the MEA, there are risks and logistical challenges associated with overland movement, and Sudanese airspace remains closed to all foreign aircraft.