Amid deadly fighting between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group in Sudan, the Indian Embassy in Khartoum will be temporarily relocated to Port Sudan, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday. More than 500 people have been killed and 4,000 wounded in the fighting, according to Sudan's health ministry.
"In view of the prevailing security situation in Sudan, including attacks in Khartoum city, it has been decided that the Indian Embassy in Khartoum will be temporarily relocated to Port Sudan. The situation will be assessed in the light of further developments," the MEA said in a statement.
The Embassy may be approached at following numbers: +249 999163790; +249 119592986; +249 915028256 and e-mail: cons1.khartoum@mea.gov.in.
India has been evacuating its citizens from the war-torn country, under 'Operation Kaveri', on buses from the conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on Indian Air Force's transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships.
From Jeddah, the Indians are being brought back home on either commercial flights or IAF's aircraft. India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah, Port Sudan to coordinate with the citizens.
Around 3,000 Indians have been evacuated so far from Sudan. "IAF C-130J flight carrying 16th batch of evacuees takes off from Port Sudan. 122 passengers onboard this flight are en route to Jeddah. Nearly 3000 persons have now left Sudan under Operation Kaveri," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
Despite a ceasefire in force, fighting is continuing in the capital, Khartoum, between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
Earlier in the day, South Sudan's foreign ministry said the army and RSF had agreed "in principle" to a new seven-day truce from May 4, and had promised to send representatives to talks, BBC reported.