At least 31 Karnataka tribesmen were trapped in Sudan after
fierce clashes between the country's army and security forces left nearly 200
dead and 1,800 injured.
The Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA)
said they have informed the Ministry of External Affairs and are working with
the Indian Embassy in Sudan to speed up the rescue process.
"We have received information that a group of 31
people from Karnataka are stranded in Sudan. We have informed the MEA. We asked
the team to follow the instructions of the Indian Embassy in Sudan. From now
on, the trapped people should stay where they are and not go out. The MEA has
been caught up in the matter and is working on it,” said Dr Manoj Rajan,
Commissioner, KSDMA.
Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Home Minister and the
Ministry of External Affairs to come in and rescue the trapped people.
"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," Mr Siddaramaiah
wrote on Twitter.
"Hakki Pikkis in Sudan are left stranded without food
since the last few days & the govt is yet to initiate action to bring them
back. @BJP4India govt should immediately open diplomatic discussions &
reach out to international agencies to ensure the well-being of Hakki
Pikkis," Mr Siddaramaiah added.
31 people from Karnataka who belong to the Hakki Pikki
tribe, are reported to be stranded in Sudan which is troubled by civil war.
An Indian national working in Sudan was killed in an
explosion on Sunday. Soon after the outbreak of violence in Sudan, the Indian
Embassy on Monday issued a new advisory urging Indians not to go outside their
homes and remain calm.
Sudan woke up to explosions and gunfire on Saturday after
the end of a ceasefire between two warlords who seized power in the country
after the military overthrew the government in 2021.
The two commanders - Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is the head of
the Sudanese army and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the commander of the Rapid Support
Forces (RSF) - were former allies.
The couple united and worked together to overthrow Sudan's
former president Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and are instrumental in the 2021
political campaign. However, negotiations to integrate the RSF into the
Sudanese army as part of a plan to restore civilian rule in the country turned
hostile when questions arose over who would command who in the new government.