New Delhi: A military warship has reached Port Sudan and two other IAF plans are ready nearby, but any evacuation of civilians would depend on the security situation which remains precarious, the Indian government said on Sunday, April 23.

Foreign governments have begun to evacuate their officials and citizens from Sudan, as the country faces an escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff, more than a week after fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary.

Meanwhile, the French embassy in India has tweeted that some Indians were rescued as part of French evacuation operations.

"French evacuation operations are under way. Last night, two military flight rotations evacuated 388 people of 28 countries, including Indian nationals," it said. A similar announcement had been made by Saudi Arabia as well.

The evacuation efforts were initiated by Saudi Arabia on Saturday, followed by other nations such as the US, the UK, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and France.

On Sunday, the United States and the United Kingdom announced that they have evacuated their embassy personnel from Sudan. France is also carrying out the evacuation of its citizens, including diplomatic personnel, from Sudan, as announced by the Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Swedish government has agreed to send a unit of up to 400 armed soldiers to support evacuation efforts in Sudan, coordinating with other countries to evacuate foreign nationals, including Swedes who are trapped in the country. 

The German military also has begun started evacuation operations in Khartoum.

The Netherlands is also participating in the evacuation process with a team from Jordan, according to Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra.

The Indian government announced that it was pursuing “multiple options” to bring back Indians, with two Indian Air Force C-130J planes on standby in Jeddah. Besides, Indian naval ship Sumedha has reached Port Sudan. However, Port Sudan is over 800 kilometres from the capital city Khartoum, which means that evacuation was not yet possible.

According to the statement released by the MEA, any ground movements will be contingent on the security situation, which remains unstable with reports of intense clashes in different areas of Khartoum. “Sudanese airspace currently remains closed for all foreign aircraft. Overland movement also has risks and logistical challenges,” it said.

The Ministry stated that the Indian Embassy was communicating regularly with the stranded Indian citizens in Sudan, offering guidance on safe movement and cautioning them against taking unnecessary risks. “It is also coordinating all possible assistance including possible exit from Khartoum city as and when the security situation permits safe movement,” said the press communique.

There are around 3,000 Indian nationals in Sudan, as per government figures.

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