'Situation is very bad...help me': Indian man abducted in Sudan by rebels? What we know

An Indian national was reportedly abducted by the rebel forces in war-torn Sudan on Monday (Nov 3). Sudan's Ambassador to India Mohammed Abdalla Ali Eltom, said his country is coordinating with the Indian authorities to secure the release of the man. The man has been identified as 36-year-old Adarsh Behera from Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district. Reports further said that he was abducted by the rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from Al Fashir city. The man is believed to have been taken to Nyala, an RSF stronghold in South Darfur, around 1,000 kilometres from Khartoum.

"We have been in close contact with India's Ministry of External Affairs ever since reports emerged about the Indian national who was captured. Even before that, during the siege of one of the Sudanese cities, the Ministry had reached out to us about another Indian citizen there, who endured very difficult conditions during those 500 days," Eltom told PTI in an exclusive interview. "We are coordinating closely with both the Sudanese authorities and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to ensure their safety and secure their release," he added. Eltom also said that the situation was “very unpredictable” and that they know what “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."

NDTV reported quoting Behera's family that he had been working in Sudan since 2022 for a company named Sukarati Plastic Factory. NDTV also showed a video of Behara in Sudan, as shared by his family. Behara's wife said that the couple have two kids aged eight and three years. In the video, Behera is saying, "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." WION cannot verify the authenticity of the video.