OPINION: Ending the Sudanese crisis

New Delhi has done well to have stepped up its efforts to evacuate our stranded citizens from the strife-torn Sudan. All democratic nations, including the US, must come forward to take effective steps aimed at ending the current crisis in Sudan and putting the African nation on the road to democracy and development.

It is assuring to learn that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government in New Delhi has stepped up its efforts to evacuate our currently stranded citizens in the strife-torn Sudan. It has launched the mission 'Operation Kaveri' to bring back the stranded back from Sudan. New Delhi has set up a transit facility in Jeddah for the purpose. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan is overseeing the evacuation mission from there.

The Indian Navy's frontline ship INS Sumedha evacuated the first batch of 278 Indians from Port Sudan this Tuesday. The mission has so far brought back at least 670 Indian nationals from the African nation. New Delhi has plans to rescue more of our stranded citizens before the end of the current ceasefire between the army and the paramilitary force in the country.

Observers say New Delhi should have little difficulty in making arrangements with the Sudanese authorities for the evacuation of all its citizens from the country. In Sudan today, there are approximately 3,100 Indians, registered online with our embassy in Khartoum. Sudan also has around 900 to 1,000 Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs).

New Delhi could activate its diplomacy to ensure the safety of all our citizens in Sudan. Relations between India and Sudan have been fine since ancient times. In the 1900s India exported two steel suspension rail bridges to Sudan. These bridges are still in use. Indian experts have long been involved in the development of Sudan's forestry sector.

The British Indian Army and Sudanese soldiers fought together in Eritrea in 1941. India oversaw the first Sudanese parliamentary elections in 1953. India provided financial support to the Sudanization Committee in 1954. This panel was tasked with replacing the British staff with the Sudanese in their government. In 1993 and 1994, India voted against the United Nations resolutions that criticised Sudan. In 1994, India opposed attempts to force Sudan to withdraw from the International Monetary Fund.

The observers suggest the enlightened international community - the world's leading democratic nations, in particular - would do well to take effective steps aimed at ending the current crisis in Sudan and putting the African nation on the road to democracy and development. The ongoing clashes between Sudan's military and the country's main paramilitary force are having disastrous consequences for the nation. They have already led to the death of hundreds of people and sent thousands fleeing for safety.

The power struggle between the Sudanese armed forces, which are loyal to Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which are led by former warlord Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, must stop for the sake of humanity in the region. This struggle has its roots in the 2019 uprising that ousted the long dictatorial rule of Omar al-Bashir. At that point of time, the Sudanese military forces and the RSF had cooperated with each other to oust Bashir. But afterwards, they fell out with each other. There were efforts for transition to a democratic civilian-led government. This did not work. It was followed by a coup in October 2021. The coup put the army back in charge. This is not acceptable to the RSF.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has done well to have recently discussed the evolving situation in Sudan with his British counterpart James Cleverly. Chief executives of all leading democratic nations, including the United States, must come forward and reach out to the leaders of the warring factions in Sudan and prevail over them to pave the way for democracy and rule of law in the country.

Regrettably, the United States, arguably the most powerful leader of the contemporary democratic world, does not seem to be taking due interest in the matter. In a recent statement, US President Joe Biden just says that the tragic violence in Sudan is "unconscionable" and "it must stop." He adds, "The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access and respect the will of the people of Sudan. We are temporarily suspending operations at the US Embassy in Sudan, but our commitment to the Sudanese people and the future they want for themselves is unending."

(Jagdish N. Singh is a senior journalist based in New Delhi. He is also Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, New York)

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