An Indian national is in the captivity of the rebel paramilitary forces in Sudan, confirmed the Ministry of External Affairs, and said it is in touch with authorities and international organisations to secure his release.
Adarsh Behera, 36, who belongs to Odisha, was taken away by the anti-government Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters in war-torn Sudan when the militia captured the city of El Fasher last month.
“One Indian national is in the custody of the RSF. As you know, there is fighting going on in the El Fasher region,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry, during a weekly media briefing.
“We are in contact with the Sudan government and international organisations, so that the Indian national can be safely freed and we can ensure his security,” he added.
Sudan’s ambassador to India, Mohammed Abdalla Ali Eltom, confirmed the Indian man’s capture, and said the Sudanese authorities and India’s MEA are in constant coordination to secure his release.
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“We hope that he is not harmed by the militia. The situation is unpredictable, you never know what they will do,” Eltom told reporters, adding that prior to the case, the MEA had reached out to Sudan about another Indian national who had been in “extremely difficult” conditions.
“We have been in close contact with the Indian MEA ever since reports emerged about the person who was captured. Even before that, during the siege of another Sudanese city, the Ministry had contacted us about an Indian citizen who endured extremely difficult conditions for over 500 days. Both sides are working closely to ensure their safety and secure their release,” Eltom told the press.
The Indian embassy based in Port Sudan is closely monitoring the situation, said officials. Sudan’s embassy in New Delhi is also in constant touch with the external affairs ministry in Port Sudan to secure the release of the Indian national, they said.
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