The first group of Indians to arrive in Delhi from Sudan on Wednesday evening have horrible stories to tell about the turmoil that erupted in their own backyard just 11 days ago.
The 360 Indians were picked up from Port Sudan by a Navy ship and an IAF C130J jet as a 72-hour truce was agreed upon by the warring generals to assist in the evacuation of foreign nationals.
Many of the Indians who arrived on Wednesday were disturbed after witnessing surrounding houses being attacked, missiles flying overhead, and people being robbed at gunpoint for 10 days.
Jyoti Agarwal, whose husband worked as a Chartered Accountant in Khartoum, was one of them. The family, which included her son and 10-year-old daughter, made it to Delhi in one piece, leaving everything behind.
“We only brought two outfits for my son and daughter.” “We didn’t bring my clothes or my husband’s,” Mrs. Agarawal stated forcefully, stating that she would not return.
“I saw a house two lanes down being blown up by bombs.” I’ve witnessed our office workers being held at gunpoint. It is impossible to predict what will occur at any given time. You might die at any time. “We didn’t know if one of us would die or if all of us would die,” she told NDTV in an exclusive interview.
The family almost escaped with their lives. “We didn’t even bring any money.” Because we may have been plundered and possibly killed by the other forces,” she explained.
Ariana, her 10-year-old daughter, was not spared the tragedy. “At school, we were taking an exam when there were loud noises. We had no idea what it was until we were told it was gunfire and a bombing. “They took us to the canteen and told us to hide under tables,” she explained.
She added that it was a terrifying moment for her, especially because her parents could not rescue her. One was at work, and the other was at home.
Anil Kumar, who traveled to Sudan from Garhwal nine months ago, said the toughest thing was reading about the killings every day. His buddy said they were robbed at gunpoint of all their things.
According to Vipin Kumar, a crane operator, their hotel was assaulted.
According to Vipin Kumar, a crane operator, their hotel was assaulted. “We put pressure on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and they finally moved us from there,” he told NDTV.
On 15 April, violence erupted in Sudan between soldiers loyal to Sudan’s army leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglom, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF).
According to the World Health Organisation, over 450 people have been killed, and over 4,000 have been wounded since mid-April. Even though there is a 72-hour truce, there have been allegations of violence.
The evacuation took place just days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar talked with his Saudi counterpart. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a high-level security meeting on Friday.
