The rebel forces have taken an Indian national, who is an Odishan, as a hostage in the civil war being fought in the African state of Sudan, and, according to reports, the government there is bargaining to get him back on Monday, November 3.
The 36-year-old from Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district, India, had moved there in 2022 to work at the Sukarati Plastic Factory. He has been supporting his wife and two young children back home.
But last week, Behera was abducted by the rebel paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the war-torn city of Al Fashir.
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PTI reported Adarsh was taken from Al Fashir, roughly 1,000 kilometres from Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. Sources told PTI that he was likely moved to Nyala, an RSF-controlled area in South Darfur.
Wife of abducted Indian worker in Sudan pleads for help
Confirming the abduction, Sudan’s Ambassador to India, Mohammed Abdalla Ali Eltom, told PTI that his government is coordinating with India’s Ministry of External Affairs to secure Behera’s release.
“Even before that, during the siege of one of the Sudanese cities, the Indian ministry had reached out to us about another of its citizens there, who endured very difficult conditions during those 500 days,” Eltom said.
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Describing the overall situation as “very unpredictable,” Eltom added, “We kind of know what we need to do. And we have seen what they (RSF) are capable of doing. We hope that he will be treated well. And we hope that we can see him coming back safely soon.”
His wife, Susmita, told NDTV that they have two children, an eight-year-old and a three-year-old, who keep asking when their father will return.
“I am here in Al Fashir where the situation is very bad. I have been living here for two years with great difficulty. My family and children are very worried. I request the state (Odisha) government to help me,” Behera said in the clip.
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Ambassador Eltom also reflected on the deep ties between India and Sudan, calling India a “long-standing and deeply rooted partner.”
“India has always been an important partner to Sudan, in times of peace and in times of war. During this ongoing crisis, India has extended humanitarian assistance to Sudan and continues to do so,” he said.
