New Delhi: India has decided to temporarily relocate its embassy from the violence-hit Sudanese capital city of Khartoum to Port Sudan in view of the prevailing security situation in the African country. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said this on Tuesday. "In view of the prevailing security situation in Sudan, including attacks in Khartoum city, it has been decided that the Indian Embassy in Khartoum will be temporarily relocated to Port Sudan," it said.
"The situation will be assessed in the light of further developments," the MEA said. Port Sudan is a port city on the Red Sea in eastern Sudan. It is located at a distance of around 850 km from Khartoum. India has been operating military aircraft and naval ships from Port Sudan to evacuate its citizens from the African country.
The Indian embassy in Khartoum is located just opposite to the airport in the city and that zone has seen a lot of fighting. In the last few days, Indian officials worked round the clock to evacuate Indians, people familiar with the matter said. No Indian official resides in the embassy complex. They were largely operating from their places of stay in view of the intense fighting.
Under "Operation Kaveri", India has been taking its citizens in buses from the conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan, from where they are being taken to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in the Indian Air Force's heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships.
From Jeddah, the Indians are being brought back home in either commercial flights or the IAF's aircraft. India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah and Port Sudan. "The Embassy may be approached at following numbers: +249 999163790; +249 119592986; +249 915028256 and E-mail: cons1.khartoum@mea.gov.in," the MEA said in a statement. (PTI)
