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regular-article-logo Thursday, 25 April 2024

13 Sri Lankans evacuated from Sudan with Saudi help: Lankan Foreign Ministry

The ministry said that it is collaborating closely with the Indian government to aid its citizen's evacuation

PTI Colombo Published 26.04.23, 06:27 PM
Indians evacuated from violence-hit Sudan under 'Operation Kaveri', aboard INS Sumedha reach Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Indians evacuated from violence-hit Sudan under 'Operation Kaveri', aboard INS Sumedha reach Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. PTI picture

As many as 13 Sri Lankan nationals were safely evacuated from strife-torn Sudan with Saudi Arabia's assistance, the foreign ministry here announced on Wednesday.

The evacuation was aided by Saudi Arabia's government and the Sri Lankan consulate in Jeddah received the evacuees, the ministry said in a release.

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The ministry said that it is collaborating closely with the Indian government to aid its citizen's evacuation.

“Sri Lanka continues to monitor the evolving security situation in Sudan and is closely working with its international partners, including the Government of India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to evacuate the stranded Sri Lankans,” the release said.

The island nation's government is making efforts to evacuate the remaining 12 Sri Lankan nationals in Khartoum, taking into account the need for safe passage in a volatile security situation.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry announced on Tuesday that Sri Lanka was anticipating Indian assistance for evacuating its citizens stuck in Saudan.

He thanked India for offering its support and hoped to move them from the strife-torn African nation in the next few days.

Sabry took to Twitter to appreciate the offer of support by India for the evacuation of Sri Lankan citizens.

"We appreciate the offer of support by India in this regard. We are confident we can achieve this within the next few days,” the minister said.

He added that Sri Lanka is concerned about the ongoing violence in Sudan and called on all parties to end hostilities.

"The only viable and lasting solution is to prioritise peaceful dialogue," the minister said, adding that the Sudanese people deserve peace, stability and progress.

According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, about 30 Sri Lankans are stranded in Sudan.

Sudan is witnessing fierce fighting following a power struggle between the regular army and a paramilitary force.

The deadly fighting has been going on for the past 10 days and reportedly left around 400 people dead.

India on Tuesday evacuated the first batch of 278 Indians from Sudan on board a naval ship and rushed in essential relief supplies for its remaining stranded citizens as a ceasefire appeared to be holding in Sudan.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

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