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The violence in Sudan, which has taken the lives of more than 150,000 people, has affected those close to an Indian family. Amidst this humanitarian crisis, news has emerged that a 36-year-old Indian national has been kidnapped by rebel forces, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in war-torn Al-Fashar.
Confirming this, Sudan’s Ambassador to India Mohammed Abdullah Ali Eltom said his country was coordinating with Indian authorities for the man’s release.
But what do we know about the man who has been captured? What do the rebels want from them?
Who is Adarsh Behera, the Indian caught in Sudan?
On Wednesday, media outlets ndtv released a video in which two Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) can be seen sitting with an Indian national. One of them can be heard asking him in English, “Do you know Shahrukh Khan?”
Another soldier behind him prompts him to say, “Dagalo good”, referring to Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, known as RSF commander Hemedti.
The Indian seen in the video has been identified as Adarsh Behera of Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha. The 36-year-old man was reportedly abducted from al-Fashar and is believed to have been taken to Nyala, an RSF stronghold in South Darfur, about 1,000 kilometers from Khartoum.
Behera, who has been working in Sudan with his family since 2022, says he was hired by a company known as Sukarti Plastic Factory. According to his wife Susmita Behera, he has two sons aged eight and three.
talking to ndtvWhen she came to know that her husband had been caught, she expressed surprise. “At first, they told me the situation was getting worse, but we never thought something like this could happen.” Susmita said that the family has approached the Government of Odisha as well as the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to intervene for his safe release.
In another video shared with his family ndtvBehera is seen sitting on the floor with folded hands and appealing for help. He said, “I am here in Al-Fashar, where the conditions are very bad. I have been living here with great difficulty for two years. My family and children are very worried. I request the state government to help me.”
Before his capture, Behera was among hundreds of Indians who lived in Sudan. According to the Indian Embassy, about 100 Indians live and work in Sudan. This comes as many other Indian citizens were evacuated from the country when the civil war broke out in 2023.
Are any efforts being made for Behera’s release?
Soon after Behera’s video made headlines, Sudan’s Ambassador to India Mohammed Abdullah Ali Eltom said they were closely coordinating with India and trying to ensure Behera’s release from the RSF.
“We have been in close contact with India’s Ministry of External Affairs since reports emerged about the captured Indian national,” Altom said, adding that the current situation in the region is “very unpredictable.”
“This militia is notorious for the atrocities that it can commit, but we hope that they will ensure that he is safe and healthy. We, as a government, are ready to play any role in ensuring his safe return to India, and we will cooperate with the Indian authorities. We will provide everything we can to ensure his safe return to India,” the ambassador was quoted as saying.
He further said, “India and Sudan have long-standing and deep relations. India has always been a valued partner of Sudan – in times of peace and in times of war. During this ongoing crisis, India has provided humanitarian assistance to Sudan and continues to do so.”
What is the situation on the ground in Sudan?
News of Behera’s kidnapping comes amid a widespread humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where a long-running conflict has disrupted daily life and put civilians at risk.
The African country is in the midst of a civil war with the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) fighting against each other. The latest escalation comes as the RSF captured al-Fashar, the last major town in Darfur held by the army after an 18-month siege that left thousands of civilians trapped.
Reports have emerged of mass killings, sexual violence, looting and kidnappings, with satellite imagery revealing the scale of what is unfolding in el-Fashr and the surrounding Darfur region.
And on Monday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) warned that atrocities being committed in Sudan’s Al-Fashar could amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Additionally, famine is spreading throughout Sudan, as noted by a global hunger monitoring group. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading international authority on the hunger crisis, famine has been detected in El-Fashar in Darfur and the city of Kadugli in South Kordofan province. Twenty other areas in Darfur and Kordofan, where fighting has intensified in recent months, are also at risk of famine, according to the IPC.
It said about 375,000 people had been pushed into famine in Darfur and Kordofan as of September, and another 6.3 million people across Sudan faced extreme hunger.
The UN migration agency said more than 36,000 people have fled Sudan’s Kordofan region since Saturday to escape the dangerous situation. The United Nations said most people were walking to the town of Tawila, west of al-Fashar, where more than 652,000 displaced people live.