Saudi Arabia to play ferry and host the stranded citizens before flying them off to India
After the regular army and a rebel paramilitary unit agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire, Indian officials launched attempts to evacuate about 3,000 Indian nationals from Sudan on Tuesday, with Saudi Arabia emerging as a vital staging site for ferrying out stranded residents.
Saudi Arabia and France have evacuated a limited number of Indian people from Sudan in recent days, while hundreds remain stuck in various regions of the country, including the capital Khartoum. Approximately 500 Indians have congregated at Port Sudan, the country's biggest port located over 800 km from Khartoum.
Forces loyal to Sudan Army Chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy-turned-rival, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), agreed to a 72-hour nationwide truce beginning at midnight on April 24.
With the cease-fire in effect, Indian authorities were trying to determine the best possibilities for transporting stranded nationals out of Sudan, according to persons familiar with the situation.
With the Khartoum airport damaged it’s unclear whether the aircraft would be able to fly into the airport or not. The Indian side is also considering the prospect of flying from military airbases near Khartoum.
"There is a military airbase located about an hour's drive away from Khartoum, and this is one of the options being considered," the source said. The Indian Navy patrol vessel INS Sumedha has also already arrived in Port Sudan and can transport Indian people across the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is now playing a crucial role in the evacuation efforts and considering its proximity to Sudan, Indians evacuated from the war-torn country can be flown to Saudi Arabia by air or sea before being transferred to flights that will take them home, according to the sources.
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