India has successfully rescued around 3,800 citizens stranded in war-torn Sudan, intensifying its “Operation Kaveri” to evacuate Indians from Khartoum. The External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, tweeted that an Indian Air Force C-130J flight carrying 47 Indians took off from Jeddah, bound for Delhi. On Thursday, 192 Indians stranded in Sudan landed in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, after being transported on an Indian Air Force C17 aircraft from Port Sudan. Furthermore, 20 evacuees departed in two batches from N’Djamena, and these people crossed from Sudan into Chad through the adjoining land border.
The Indian embassy in Sudan reported that a total of 3,584 Indians have been evacuated from the strife-torn region under “Operation Kaveri,” which has completed nine days of operations. The ambitious rescue mission involved five Indian naval ships and sixteen Indian Air Force aircraft, including one from Wadi Sayyidna military airbase.
The two warring factions in Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a seven-day ceasefire, according to a statement from the foreign ministry of South Sudan. The statement added that both sides agreed to send representatives for peace talks to be held at an agreed venue. However, previous ceasefires have not been able to stop the violence between the opposing factions. The leader of the RSF and the commander of the Sudanese army failed to reach an agreement in April, resulting in violent skirmishes between the two sides, leading to the death of at least 528 people.
The UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) warned that over 800,000 people may migrate to other nations as continuous violence impedes convoys to evacuate people from Sudan’s major ports. As such, the Indian government’s evacuation efforts are crucial in rescuing stranded citizens. “Operation Kaveri” has been a success, bringing relief to the families of rescued Indian nationals who have been through difficult and trying circumstances.