Sudan has been in turmoil since April this year after what started as a battle between two rival Generals is now turning into a full-fledged civil war.
Published Dec 29, 2023 | 9:46 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 29, 2023 | 11:02 PM
Reports suggest that the violence has killed more than 12,000 people and displaced at least 7.1 million people. (Commons)
AIMIM MLA Ahmed Bin Abdullah Balala wrote to the Union Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar on Thursday, 28 December, urging the rescue of around 70 Indian residents from Hyderabad trapped in the conflict-hit African country of Sudan.
The MLA stated that the people stuck belong to different parts of Hyderabad city.
“Their family members approached me seeking intervention. Some of them went to Sudan for employment, some for studies, businesses among other things,” the MLA from Malakpet told South First.
Sudan has been in turmoil since April this year after what started as a battle between two rival generals is now said to be turning into a full-fledged civil war.
In the letter addressed to Union External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, the AIMIM MLA Balala stated, “…Some of the Indian National particularly belongs to Hyderabad, Telangana including women and children (details enclosed) are stuck in the war zone, Sudan in Khartoum city from the past one year and they do not have access to travel back to India.”
Requesting for the rescue of Indian nationals in Khartoum @sudan and to travel back to Hyderabad Telangana near about 70 people including Women and children. Hope early action would be taken up. pic.twitter.com/p6HExKxA6z
— Ahmed Bin Abdullah Balala-MLA (@balala_ahmed) December 28, 2023
Balala urged the Union government to rescue the Hyderabad natives and help them repatriate with their families. He attached the list, in his post at X, with the names of some of the people stranded, along with their Indian passport numbers.
A source in Hyderabad, who said that he was initially contacted by a few people stranded there, shared excerpts from his conversation with a woman trapped in Sudan.
“After the war broke out in Sudan, people from Hyderabad also got stuck there. Some of them know me and they got in touch with me. The woman I spoke with sounded scared and said there was a lot of chaos going in and around in the city. Initially, most of the Hyderabad people stuck there thought that they were in a safe place. But that is not the situation anymore, as the war has spread like wildfire,” the source told South First.
The source added, “The lady said that her family and those of others went to Sudan to find employment like several people go to other countries seeking livelihood and settle there. She added that most of them were looking for help but did not get a proper channel to leave.”
As per the source, most of the families are mostly stuck in and around the capital, Khartoum.
“There are approximately 70 of them, mostly women and children. The woman I spoke with told me that some of their own people in Sudan are missing, too, and they have no clue about their whereabouts. After I got the information, we brought it to the notice of MLA sir (Ahmed Balala) and he wrote to the Union minister,” the source said, adding that more details are being sought.
As per the United Nations, reports suggest that the violence in Sudan has killed more than 12,000 people and displaced at least 7.1 million. The displaced people include 1.5 million who fled across the border into neighbouring countries.
Tensions date back to 15 April after a power struggle between Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Rapid Support Force (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo broke out.
The conflict is now suspected of turning into a full-fledged war as calls for civilians to carry weapons have surged, and Sudanese paramilitary reportedly advance.
The paramilitary group RSF has taken control of most of Sudan’s southern Al-Jazira state, including its capital Wad Madani. It is now said to be advancing further south into Sennar State in their war against the Army.
The RSF has been accused of abusing civilians, raping women and girls, and looting citizens of their wealth. This has led to civilian groups calling for “armed popular resistance” across the Sudanese States of White Nile, River Nile, Gedaref, North, Kassala, and Red Sea.
