Tag: Sudan

Indians From Sudan

Another Flight Carrying 231 Indians From Sudan Reaches Delhi

By LokMarg

Another flight carrying 231 Indian passengers evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan reached New Delhi on Saturday.

The Indian evacuees shouted slogans like “Bharat Mata ki jai,” and “Vande Mataram” and also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for rescuing them from Sudan under Operation Kaveri.
One of the Indian passengers shared the tough humanitarian crisis faced by them in Sudan. “It has become very difficult to stay in Sudan due to ongoing conflict. There is a shortage of food and drinking water, moreover, there are continuous bombings, and rockets are being fired. None of us were coming out of our houses. The food canteen was bombed. It is very difficult to flee also, travelling in the vehicle is also not safe, they can bomb buses too,” said an Indian electrician from Buxar, Bihar evacuated from Sudan.

He lauded Operation Kaveri and said that his evacuation from Sudan was like “re-birth” as he had lost hope to survive. “If it had not been PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar none of the Indians could have come here alive. From the deep of my heart, I want to thank them. Bharat Mata ki jai, Modiji Zindabad,” he added.

He also praised the Indian Army which aided their safe transit from Port Sudan to Jeddah. “When I saw them at Port Jeddah, we felt secure and knew that we will reach India alive. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat,” he added.

Meanwhile, a little girl named Aiysha evacuated from Sudan also shared her experience and thanked the Indian Government. “I feel relaxed. The situation in Sudan was ‘boom, boom, boom.’ I was scared, and so was my Mom and Dad. Thank You, Indian Government for supporting and helping us” she said.

“#OperationKaveri moves further. 231 Indian reach home safely as another flight reaches New Delhi,” tweeted Jaishankar.

“I have been staying in Sudan for the last 15 years. This is the first time we faced such a dire situation. It was very scary, they launched a rocket at my house. We requested Indian Embassy to evacuate us. They helped us and we went to Port Sudan and Indian Navy carried us safely. Navy officers were very helpful. When we reached Jeddah, we got good air service. Indian Government supported us in the time of the need, we are very happy and thankful to the government,” said Mohammed Iqbal Hussain, project engineer in a pharmaceutical company in Sudan.

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Garud Commandos carried out a daring, overnight operation to air-lift stranded Indians despite the airstrip in Sudan’s Wadi Seidna having no navigational approach, aids or fuel, and landing lights (that are required to guide an aircraft landing at night).

On the night of April 27, 28, 2023, the IAF C-130J aircraft rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Seidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum, Sudan, the IAF said in a statement.

Hussain said that situation in Sudan is not going to normalize soon. “It will take very long and now Khartoum is finished, they are going back 20 years. They cannot reconstruct like that, bearing heavy losses,” he added.

“I am feeling very relaxed after coming back to India, was under trauma for the last 14 days and was very scared due to my little girl. Even our houses were not safe, were always in constant fear that bullets can hit us from anywhere, were doubting whether we will be able to meet our family. I would like to thank Government of India from the core of my heart because they supported us in such dire conditions,” said another Indian evacuee.

On Friday, Mos MEA V Muraleedharan informed that so far, 2,100 Indians have arrived in Jeddah, as part of ‘Operation Kaveri’.

Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence.

Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI)

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INS Sumedha sudan

Two C-130J, INS Sumedha To Evacuate Citizens From Sudan

By LokMarg

Two Indian Air Force C-130J have been positioned in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah and INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official statement on Sunday while giving details of preparations to evacuate Indians from Sudan. The MEA said that contingency plans are in place, but movement on the ground depends on the security situation.

“As part of our preparations, and in order to move swiftly, the Government of India is pursuing multiple options. Two Indian Air Force C-130J are currently positioned on standby in Jeddah. And, INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan,” the MEA said in the statement.
It further said, “Contingency plans are in place but any movement on the ground would depend on the security situation, which continues to be volatile with reports of fierce fighting at various locations in Khartoum. Sudanese airspace currently remains closed for all foreign aircraft. Overland movement also has risks and logistical challenges.”

India is closely monitoring the security situation and making all-out efforts to ensure the safety and security of Indians stranded in Sudan, the MEA said in the statement. The MEA said that the Indian Embassy in Sudan is in regular touch with stranded Indians in Sudan. It advised people on the viability of safe movement and the need to avoid unnecessary risk.

In addition to Sudanese authorities, the MEA and the Embassy in Sudan are in regular touch with the United Nations, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and the US among others.

The MEA in the statement said, “Government of India is making all-out efforts to ensure safety and security of Indians stranded in Sudan. We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan. We are also coordinating closely with various partners for the safe movement of those Indians who are stranded in Sudan and would like to be evacuated.”

The MEA stated that Indian Embassy in Sudan is coordinating all possible assistance, including possible exit from Khartoum city according to the security situation in Sudan.

“Our Embassy is in regular touch with the stranded Indians in Sudan and is advising them on the viability of safe movement and the need to avoid unnecessary risk. It is also coordinating all possible assistance including possible exit from Khartoum city as and when the security situation permits safe movement,” the MEA said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Indian nationals are among 66 people from “friendly and brotherly countries” evacuated by Saudi Arabia from violence-torn Sudan. The evacuation came days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Saudi Arabia counterpart. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Sudan.

Saudi Arabia ministry, in a statement, announced the “safe arrival” of 91 Saudi citizens and around 66 nationals representing the following nationalities Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina. Faso.

Sudan is facing violence due to fighting between the army and the paramilitary forces. Fighting between two rival military factions – the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues in Sudan despite a 72-hour truce declared for Eid, CNN reported. On Saturday, Loud explosions and clashes were reported, mainly near the military headquarters and presidential palace in Khartoum. (ANI)

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Sudan evacuation of foreign nationals

Sudan Army Agrees To Assist In Evacuation Of Foreign Nationals

By LokMarg

After a week of battle, there is hope that the evacuation of foreign nationals from Sudan will now be possible after both of the opposing parties vying for control of Sudan declared they are prepared to do so, according to CNN.

The Sudanese army announced in a recent statement that it had consented to assist in evacuating citizens and diplomats from several nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and China.
Evacuations are expected to begin “within the coming hours,” according to the statement, CNN reported on Saturday.

In order to allow nations to evacuate their citizens, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) declared on Friday that they were prepared to reopen all airports in Sudan to air traffic partially.

The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the paramilitary RSF, under the direction of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, engaged in fierce fighting last Saturday in Sudan.

Although the two were once partners, tensions between them developed amid talks to incorporate the RSF into the nation’s military as part of preparations to reestablish a civilian government.

Fighting continued in Khartoum on Friday, even though the Sudanese army said it had reached an understanding with the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for a three-day ceasefire to allow civilians to observe the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr. The RSF announced earlier in the day that a 72-hour ceasefire had been reached in observance of Eid.

Countries including Germany, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and the US have been unable to evacuate embassy workers since the airport in Khartoum is engulfed in violence and the skies are insecure, read a report published in Al Jazeera.

According to a Western diplomat, the Sudanese evacuation situation is among the most challenging they have ever encountered. The US is probably concentrating on achieving a truce so that its personnel may be evacuated. Washington has said that private US citizens living in Sudan shouldn’t expect a coordinated evacuation by the US government. Vedant Patel, the deputy spokeswoman for the US State Department, stated that authorities were in contact with hundreds of US individuals believed to remain in Sudan.

The State Department on Friday confirmed the death of a US citizen there.

The conflict began when a coup in 2021 between Sudan’s military leader and his deputy on the ruling council erupted derailing a plan for a transition to a civilian democracy after the fall of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Elections were supposed to be held by the end of 2023. (ANI)

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WHO Sudan

WHO Chief: Sudan Heartbreaking, Peace Only Solution

By LokMarg

World Health Organisation (WHO) condemned the loss of lives in Sudan on Thursday as clashes continue to deepen between the army and the paramilitaries in the country.

In a statement, the director-general of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the reports of forces occupying health facilities are deeply concerning.
The WHO Chief posted his statement on Sudan’s situation on his Twitter handle and condemned the loss of lives, attacks on civilians and health care.

As of now, more than 300 people have lost their lives due to rage in clashes in Sudan and nearly 3000 are injured.

“The lack of safe access, to electricity, food, water, personnel and the diminishing medical supplies are making it nearly impossible for many health facilities to function at the exact time when there are thousands injured in need of urgent care,” the WHO Chief said further, as he reiterated on his appeal for peace.

“I continue to urge all sides to respect the truce so that: -those trapped by the fighting can seek refuge -civilians can access food, water, and medicine -patients can seek the health care that they need. Peace is the only solution,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres condemned the continuing clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese armed forces.

“The Secretary-General calls on the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces to immediately cease hostilities, restore calm and initiate a dialogue to resolve the current crisis. Any further escalation in the fighting will have a devastating impact on civilians and further aggravate the already precarious humanitarian situation in the country,” the spokesperson for the Secretary-General said.

The United Kingdom on Wednesday also called for an immediate end to the fighting and a lasting ceasefire in Sudan as the tensions continue to rise in the region, every passing day.

Taking to Twitter, the UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly informed that some discussions took place with the Foreign Ministers of Egypt and UAE on how the conflict can be resolved collectively.

“The bloodshed in Sudan cannot continue. The UK calls for an immediate end to the fighting and a lasting ceasefire. Today I discussed with the Foreign Ministers of Egypt and UAE how we can collectively work to resolve the conflict,” the UK Foreign Secretary tweeted.

The conflict between Sudan’s military leader and his deputy on the ruling council erupted four days ago, derailing a plan for a transition to a civilian democracy that had received international support, four years after the overthrow of the previous government by widespread protests and two years after a military coup, as per a report published in Al Jazeera.

A humanitarian crisis, as stated by the UN, has been brought on by the conflict, including the almost complete collapse of the health system. The Global Food Programme of the organization halted operations when three of its staffers were killed.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was nearly impossible to provide humanitarian services around the capital. (ANI)

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Modi Is Anti-Kannadiga

Congress Calls Modi As Anti-Kannadiga For Not Heling 31 Tribals In Sudan

By LokMarg

Congress national spokesperson and the party’s in-charge for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls, Randeep Surjewala, on Tuesday claimed the BJP government at the Centre has made no effort to rescue 31 tribals from Karnataka who are stuck as violence rages in Sudan.

Labelling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai as “Anti-Kannadiga” in a no-holds-barred attack on the ruling party ahead of the May 10 polls, Surjewala put out a tweet stating, “31 Kannadigas of Hakki Pikki Tribe have been left stranded in the civil war in Sudan. The Anti-Kannadiga Modi Govt has left them to their fate, instead of evacuating and ensuring their safe return. Where are Mr. Prahlad Joshi and Shobha Karandje and BJP M.P’s? SHAME ON U MR. BOMMAI!”
No official statement has yet been released by the Ministry of External Affairs on the Congress leader’s claim.

At least 180 civilians have been killed while more than 1,800 civilians and combatants injured in fighting between Sudan’s military and the country’s main paramilitary force, according to the United Nations envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, The New York Times reported.

According to NYT, the fighting has left many of the five million residents of the capital, Khartoum, stranded at home without electricity or water as they marked the last few days of Ramzan, the Muslim holy month when many fast daily from dawn until dusk.

Overwhelmed medical facilities have been targeted, including a major medical centre northeast of Khartoum that was shelled, evacuated and shut down. More than a dozen hospitals have shuttered, according to NYT.

The Ministry of External Affairs in view of the current clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Monday set up a Control Room to provide information and assistance to Indians.

The Ministry of External Affairs, taking cognizance of the ongoing clashes in the African country, on Monday set up a Control Room to provide information and assistance.

“In view of the current situation in Sudan, a Control Room has been set up at the Ministry of External Affairs to provide information and assistance,” read the MEA press release.

The ministry further shared the Coordinates of the Control Room, email and phone numbers for information on Indians stuck in Sudan.

“Phone: 1800 11 8797 (Toll free) +91-11-23012113; +91-11-23014104; +91-11-23017905; Mobile: +91 9968291988 and Email: situationroom@mea.gov.in,” shared the release. (ANI)

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Exploitative Attitude Of Chinese Companies

Africans Turning Against Exploitative Attitude Of Chinese Companies

By LokMarg

The exploitative attitude of Chinese companies and their engulfing security apparatus in Africa gradually turn the locals against them.

Most African citizens do not view them as independent entities but as part of the Chinese government, reported Geo-Politik.
A peculiar feature of Chinese companies working in African countries is their insistence on using security apparatus and human resources from China. This constitutes the placement of personnel and security equipment on various construction or other project sites from Chinese agencies only.

According to some estimates, the rapid growth of Chinese operations has led to the deployment of about a million Chinese nationals with more than ten thousand Chinese companies in Africa. Only Chinese security companies are entrusted with the safety of these assets and nationals while securing the sea routes.

The practice seems to have its ideological roots in the colonial era when companies used to support private armies to deploy in their colonies, reported Geo-Politik.

The market for Chinese security services has increased significantly since the launch of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Africa.

Prior to the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa, several Chinese companies operating in Africa were believed to be using armed militia, reported Geo-Politik.

While most Chinese companies provide traditional security services, many of them have acquired sophisticated capabilities for collecting intelligence and conducting surveillance against potential threats. Some of them are also even seen working closely with local institutions including the armed forces.

However, their rising clout and growing intervention in local problems are leading to many law and order problems in host countries, reported Geo-Politik.

In 2018, two Chinese security contractors were arrested in Zambia for allegedly providing illegal training and supplying uniforms & military equipment to a local security company.

In particular, three countries viz., Congo, Sudan, and South Sudan are believed to be facing law and order issues due to the activities of Chinese agencies.

The problem may also spread to other countries as many Chinese firms are trying to establish security partnerships in Mali, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Tanzania, reported Geo-Politik.

Though the Chinese security agencies have gained considerable influence in African countries and gained some inroads into their institutions, their acceptance among the local population is still a long draw.

Their continued exploitation of local people and disregard for the environment and culture of these countries are serious roadblocks in the voyage of Chinese corporations, reported Geo-Politik. (ANI)

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