Amidst growing tensions in violence-hit Sudan, the Ministry of External Affairs in India issued a statement saying that the government is making all efforts to ensure safety and security of its nationals stranded in the region.
The government 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 their statement.
"Contigency 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," the statement further said.
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The Indian embassy continues to be in touch with its stranded nationals and is advising them on the viability of safe movement. "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.
A day earlier, Saudi Arabia announced the safe evacuation of over 90 citizens including Indian nationals. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had discussed the situation in violence-hit region with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Indian embassy in Sudan issued a fresh advisory urging Indians not to venture out of their residences and stay calm. The embassy said that an Indian national died in Khartoum after sustaining bullet injuries.
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Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued directions for the preparation of contingency plans to evacuate Indians from Sudan as he carried out a detailed review of the security situation in the violence-hit country at a high-level meeting.
The Prime Minister received a first-hand report of the conditions on the ground, with a specific focus on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens presently located throughout that country, the PMO said in a statement.
(With inputs from PTI)
