India has launched Operation Kaveri to evacuate its citizens from the ongoing inside war Sudan is going under way. Today another IAF C-130J flight under Operation Kaveri arrived at Jeddah with 128 Indians, the fourth aircraft from Sudan.
The warring factions in Sudan agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire on Monday after the US and Saudi Arabia mediated the truce while countries are engaged in evacuating their citizens from the country. The Indian Government is making the most of a 72-hour ceasefire window to bring out about 3,000 civilians.
Under this mission, Indian has set up a transit facility at Jeddah where all the Indians have been taken to the coastal Saudi Arabian city after their evacuation from Sudan. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan is in Jeddah to oversee the evacuation mission.
On Saturday, Saudi Arabia evacuated 66 citizens of “brotherly and friendly” foreign countries that included a few Indian nationals from Sudan.
What is happening in Sudan ?
Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. Right now, two military factions in Sudan are fighting among themselves. There have been Intense clashes between Sudan’s military and the country’s main paramilitary force. Their clashes have killed hundreds of people and thousands are fleeing for safety of themselves and their family.
The clashes are the outcome of the power struggle between the two main factions of the military regime. The conflict is actually between Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan who is greatly supported by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the former warlord Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti who has the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at its disposal.
Battles between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary since mid-April have killed at least 459 people and injured more than 4,000, according to the WHO.
Why does another country’s conflict affect India ?
This conflict or inside war in Sudan once more has heated the conversation about the particular challenges that India faces in any conflict. The reason is that about 14 million non-resident Indians live on foreign land. So, there is practically no conflict today that does not affect an Indian citizen. You can also read the History Of Evacuations in India.
Given that many work in the most dangerous environments — examples being students in Ukraine, nurses in Iraq or Yemen, or laborers in Libya, Syria and Lebanon — the responsibility of the government to help those without the means to return to safety is greater.
India is admired for its reputation and ability to harness all its resources in rescuing every single citizen in any corner of the world, every time they are in need. That reputation must remain intact.
