AIR Spotlight: Operation Kaveri - India’s Rescue Mission in Sudan

AIR Spotlight is an insightful program featured daily on the All India Radio News on air. In this program, many eminent panellists discuss issues of importance which can be quite helpful in IAS exam preparation.

This article is about the discussion on: Operation Kaveri – India’s Rescue Mission in Sudan.

Participants: 

1. Anil Kumar Tringunayat, Former Diplomat
2. Rajesh Lekh, AIR correspondent

Context:  India’s rescue mission in Sudan.

Introduction:

• Nearly 3,000 Indians were stuck in various parts of Sudan such as the national capital, Khartoum and other provinces like Darfur.
• The conflict began on 15th April 2023. A 72-hour-long ceasefire was announced to provide a window for the evacuation of people of different nationalities.
• The situation in Sudan is quite dire as the two generals are engaged in indiscriminate fighting that has killed several people and injured many others.

Sudan Crisis:

• The people of Sudan are demanding a democratic form of Government and there is a competing claim for power between the two Generals of the Rapid Support Force (RSF) and the Sudanese Army.
• A power transition to a civilian form of government was supposed to happen on 11th April 2023, but it could not happen.
• As a result, the skirmish began on 15th April 2023. 
• Notably, there is both domestic and international pressure to restore democracy in Sudan.
• The international community tried to broker a ceasefire five times and ultimately a 72-hour-long ceasefire was declared.

For more detailed information, read here: Sudan Conflict Explained [UPSC Notes]

Operation Kaveri:

• The aim of the operation is to safely evacuate Indians or people of Indian origin stranded in Sudan.
• The operation is named ‘Kaveri’ to establish a metaphorical significance that rivers reach their destination despite barriers. River Kaveri is portrayed as a mother who brings back her children safely.
• It should be noted that Indian Government has tremendous expertise and experience to deal with such situations. India’s ambassadors are well-trained to handle these types of incidents.
• Notably, every embassy has a contingency plan which can be operationalized and activated at any given time. It contains all the fundamental details about the procedure.
• The four major players that are coordinating to execute Operation Kaveri are the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Embassy in Sudan, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian Navy.
• India has deployed two C-130J heavy-lift aircraft in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and has sent INS Sumedha to Port Said (Egypt) for the operation.
• The Government of India and the Ministry of External Affairs have also established a 24×7 control room to assess the situation and help the stranded Indians. It will also coordinate with other countries.
• It is the biggest responsibility of the Indian government to safely evacuate its citizens without any casualties. It should be noted that convoys of some countries were attacked during the evacuation process.
• It is a whole of government approach. The Minister of State V. Muralidharan has been made the in-charge to oversee the evacuation process.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is also personally looking at the matter.

Also read: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis. Apr 25th, 2023 CNA. Download PDF

Procedure of Evacuation:

• The people stranded in regions like Khartoum are taken to Port Sudan which is 800 km away.
• They are then taken to Jeddah from where they are flown to India.
• The stranded people are provided with food, medicines, and other utilities. Their documents are processed and a visa is provided (in case there is a need to fly to other countries).
• The embassy gives directions and general instructions to be followed in case of a crisis in the country.
• It provides the means of transport and logistical support.

AIR Spotlight: Operation Kaveri – India’s Rescue Mission in Sudan:- Download PDF Here

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