New Delhi/Khartoum: Amid the escalating fighting in Sudan, the Indian Embassy said on Tuesday that it has come across many instances of looting and urged Indian nationals not to venture out and ration their supplies.
In a tweet, the Indian Embassy also asked the Indians in Sudan to remain indoors.
“We have come across many instances of looting. All Indian nationals are advised please not to venture out. Please ration your supplies. The situation may continue for a few more days. Please try to take help from your neighbours. Please stay at home and remain safe,” it said.
The development comes as senior Congress leader of Karnataka Siddaramaiah has urged PM Modi and the Ministry of External affairs to ensure the safe return of Kannadigas in Sudan. He claimed that 31 people from Karnataka’s Hakki Pikki tribe are stuck in Sudan.
Siddaramaiah tweeted, “It is reported that 31 people from Karnataka belonging to the Hakki Pikki tribe, are stranded in Sudan which is troubled by civil war. I urge @PMOIndia @narendramodi, @HMOIndia,@MEAIndia and @BSBommai to immediately intervene & ensure their safe return.
“Hakki Pikkis in Sudan have been left stranded without food since the last few days & the govt is yet to initiate action to bring them back.@BJP4India govt should immediately open diplomatic discussions & reach out to international agencies to ensure the well-being of Hakki Pikkis,” he tweeted.
The fighting began on Saturday, when forces loyal to Lieutenant General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of the paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces, began clashing with forces loyal to the Sudanese army chief, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan.
Meanwhile, on Monday the Ministry of External Affairs set up a control room today in view of the violence in Sudan, to provide information and help to Indians there.
The Coordinates of the Control Room
Phone: 1800 11 8797 (Toll free)
+91-11-23012113
+91-11-23014104
+91-11-23017905
Mobile: +91 9968291988
Email: situationroom@mea.gov.in
The development comes as an Indian national was killed when he was hit by a stray bullet in Khartoum amid the clashes between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary.
The UN envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, has said gunmen have been looting and burning warehouses holding critically needed aid, as well as guesthouses and offices of agencies such as the World Food Program and UNICEF.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he had spoken with both warring generals and expressed deep concern. “The humanitarian situation in Sudan was already precarious and is now catastrophic,” he said.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that a US Embassy convoy came under fire in Sudan and denounced “indiscriminate military operations” as the country’s armed forces and a powerful rival unleashed heavy weapons in urban areas for a fourth day.
The convoy of clearly marked embassy vehicles was attacked on Monday, and preliminary reports link the assailants to the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group battling Sudan’s military, Blinken said, adding everyone in the convoy was safe. (UNI)