India's External Affair Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday announced the launch of ‘Operation Kaveri’ to bring back to safety around 3,000 Indian nationals stranded in violence-hit areas of Sudan
So far, nearly 500 Indians evacuated from the nation have reached Port Sudan, Jaishankar informed. More Indian citizens are “on their way” to safety from the areas worst affected by fighting between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and its erstwhile ally and paramilitary agency Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi, directing officials to keep ready a "contingency" plan to safely evacuate the stranded Indians.
The Khartoum state, where the country’s capital is located, has remained the epicentre of violence.
Indian Navy’s INS Sumedha has been docked at the Red Sea port to bring back the evacuees. Two Indian C-130 J transport aircraft are also at standby in Jeddah, per the Indian foreign ministry.
Jaishankar’s announcement comes just hours after the French Embassy in New Delhi said the French forces have organised evacuation of 388 people from 28 countries, including those from India.
On Saturday, the Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry also said that it had evacuated 66 foreigners, including several from India, from Sudan.
New Delhi has said that it is coordinating its evacuation efforts with the United Nations (UN), as well as with the governments of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and the US. Evacuation efforts by foreign governments through air and land routes have picked up pace since the fighting parties announced a “humanitarian truce’ last week in view of Eid festivities.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt have been involved in mass evacuation efforts of its citizens based in the country, having flown hundreds to safety till now.