A Third batch of 135 Indians from violence-hit Sudan arrived at Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah on Wednesday under India’s evacuation mission Operation Kaveri.
Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan welcomed the rescued people and announced that the government would facilitate the journey of these Indian nationals back to the country soon.
India on Monday launched ‘Operation Kaveri’ to bring back its nationals from Sudan which has been witnessing fierce fighting following a power struggle. An Indian national got killed on the first day of the civil war in the capital Khartoum.
India on Tuesday evacuated the first batch of 278 Indians from Sudan on board the naval ship INS Sumedha and rushed in essential relief supplies for its remaining stranded citizens as the ceasefire appeared to be holding.
Meanwhile, the UN envoy to Sudan on Tuesday said there are no signs that the warring parties in Sudan are ready to seriously negotiate an end to the fighting.
Volker Perthes told a UN Security Council meeting in New York City on Tuesday that both sides believe they can secure a victory.
Perthes was briefing the UNSC as the 72-hour ceasefire to evacuate foreigners was partially holding.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the violence and chaos in Sudan as “heartbreaking” and warned the UN meeting on Tuesday that the fighting could spread to other countries in the region.
UN officials have said that one side in the Sudan conflict has seized control of a national health lab in the capital of Khartoum that holds biological material, calling it an “extremely dangerous” development.
