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Who is Adarsh Behera, the Indian kidnapped by rebel forces in Sudan?
The abducted Indian national has been identified as Adarsh Behera, who was kidnapped from Al Fashir, about 1,000 kilometres from the capital city, Khartoum.
A 36-year-old Indian national has been abducted by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan's Al Fashir, as the civil war continues to disrupt the country in a crisis that has led to the world’s largest humanitarian disaster. Sudan's ambassador to India, Mohammed Abdalla Ali Eltom, has assured that his country is coordinating efforts to secure the release of the Indian national.
The RSF has recently captured the city, which was the military’s last stronghold in Darfur, after surrounding it for 18 months and blocking the delivery of food and other essential supplies to thousands of people.
The abducted Indian national has been identified as Adarsh Behera, who was reportedly kidnapped from Al Fashir, about 1,000 kilometres from the capital city, Khartoum.
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Who is Adarsh Behera?
The 36-year-old Indian national was kidnapped by the RSF from Al Fashir and likely taken to Nyala, which is also an RSF stronghold in South Darfur, sources told PTI.
Adarsh Behera hails from Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district and had moved to Sudan to work at a company called Sukarati Plastic Factory three years ago, his family told NDTV. His wife told the media outlet that the couple have two boys, aged eight and three.
In a video shared by the outlet, Behera was reportedly seen sitting between two RSF soldiers while one of them asks him, “Do you know Shah Rukh Khan?”
Sudan envoy to India reacts to kidnapping
In statements given to PTI and ANI, the ambassador of Sudan to India, Mohammed Abdalla Ali Eltom, assured that the government in his country will work to ensure Behera’s safe return.
“We have seen the reports of the Indian national who was abducted by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but we are not in a position to confirm such reports. We pray that they keep him safe,” he told ANI.
The ambassador added, “This militia is notorious for the atrocities that it can commit, but we hope that they will make sure that he's safe and sound. We, as a government, are ready to play any role in ensuring his safe return to India, and we'll cooperate with the Indian authorities. We'll offer everything that we can in order to ensure his safe return to India.”
He described the situation in Sudan as “very unpredictable”, adding, “We kind of know what we need to do, and we have seen what they are capable of doing.”
Sudan war
Over 150,000 people have been killed, while around 12 million have been displaced due to the conflict across the country. The army's last stronghold, Darfur, was also recently captured by the RSF, where reports of mass killings, sexual violence, looting, and kidnappings have now become prevalent.
The war broke out in April 2023 over a power struggle between the leaders of the military and the RSF.
