New Delhi: As clashes between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rage on for the third consecutive day, the body of a 48-year-old man from Kerala who was killed by a stray bullet in Khartoum was shifted to a hospital Monday after the Indian embassy in Sudan intervened.
According to The Indian Express, Albert Augustine, a retired Army man from Nellippara village in Kannur district, had been working as a security manager with Sudan’s DAL Group of Companies for the last seven months. On Saturday, he was hit by a bullet when he tried to open a window at his flat to talk to his son who studies in the UK.
Twenty-four hours later, as clashes continued in the capital, Augustine’s body still hadn’t been moved to a hospital due to the unavailability of an ambulance, Sybella, the former serviceman’s wife, told her family in an audio note. Sybella was with her husband at the time of the incident.
According to the Indian Express report, Augustine’s wife can be heard begging for help in the audio clip and informing her family that she and her daughter had been living in the basement of the apartment since the incident.
“We are totally helpless and so far, no local contacts or help could reach us. Please help us”, Sybella can be heard pleading, according to the report. It added that Sybella and the couple’s daughter had arrived in Sudan two weeks ago to visit the former serviceman, who was planning to return to India next month.
The Indian embassy in Sudan said Monday that the two had been moved to safety, according to The Hindu.
Clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF began in Sudan — a country that has been under military rule since a coup in October 2021 — Saturday.
Although the political transition that followed the 2021 coup was to end with an election in 2023, neither RSF leader General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo nor coup leader General Abdel-Fattah Burhan appear to want to relinquish power.
Over 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 wounded in the clashes, UN envoy Volker Perthes said in a statement Monday.
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War of words
In a related incident, a tweet from former Karnataka chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah over some stranded Indian citizens triggered a sharp response from External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
In a tweet Tuesday, Siddaramaiah appealed to PM Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs and CM Basavaraj Bommai Tuesday to safely bring back 31 people from Karnataka’s Hakki Pikki tribe.
It is reported that 31 people from Karnataka belonging to Hakki Pikki tribe, are stranded in Sudan which is troubled by civil war.
I urge @PMOIndia @narendramodi, @HMOIndia, @MEAIndia and @BSBommai to immediately intervene & ensure their safe return.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 18, 2023
In his response, Jaishankar told the Congress leader not to “do politics” when “lives were at stake”.
Simply appalled at your tweet! There are lives at stake; don’t do politics.
Since the fighting started on April 14th, the Embassy of India in Khartoum has been continuously in touch with most Indian Nationals and PIOs in Sudan. https://t.co/MawnIwStQp
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 18, 2023
Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Sudan has so far issued two advisories — one cautioning Indian citizens against venturing outside and the second advising them to keep essentials such as “medicine, water, money, passport, OCI card, food” ready for easy mobility.
Please stay calm and peaceful. Stay away from open spaces like balconies or terrace. Keep essentials – medicine, water, money, passport, OCI card food ready with you to ensure easy mobility, when feasible.
— India in Sudan (@EoI_Khartoum) April 16, 2023
The Ministry of External Affairs has also set up a control room to help Indian nationals in Sudan, spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Monday evening.
In view of the current situation in Sudan, a Control Room has been set up at @MEAIndia to provide information and assistance.
Coordinates of the Control Room⬇️ pic.twitter.com/wRVxxxbtdz
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) April 17, 2023
According to the official figures, there are roughly 4,000 Indians in Sudan, including 1,200 who settled down in the country decades ago.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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Source: The Print
