A shaky video from Sudan’s war-torn city of Al Fashir has rattled India. In it, 36-year-old Adarsh Behera from Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district sits between two armed men of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. One of them grins and asks, “Do you know Shah Rukh Khan?”
Moments later, another voice orders him to repeat the words, 'Dagalo good,' a reference to Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti, the feared RSF commander accused of atrocities in Darfur.
The video, verified by NDTV, shows the Indian national kidnapped in Sudan, a country ravaged by a brutal civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF since 2023.
Who is Adarsh Behera?
Behera, employed since 2022 at Sukarati Plastic Factory in Sudan, was abducted from Al Fashir, about 1,000 km from the capital Khartoum. Investigators believe he was later moved to Nyala, the RSF’s stronghold and the capital of South Darfur—roughly 1,200 km from Khartoum.
His wife, Susmita Behera, told NDTV that he has been struggling in Sudan for two years and that the couple’s two sons, aged eight and three, are terrified.
In another video sent to NDTV, Behera is seen pleading:
“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 Odisha government to help me.”
A country in collapse
Sudan’s once-bustling capital Khartoum has been reduced to rubble since the SAF and RSF turned on each other in April 2023. What began as a power struggle exploded into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, over 13 million people displaced and entire towns razed.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has warned that recent RSF operations in Darfur, including the storming of Al Fashir after an 18-month siege, may constitute war crimes amid reports of mass killings and sexual violence.
‘Unpredictable and dangerous’: Sudan envoy speaks
Speaking to NDTV, Sudan’s Ambassador to India Dr Mohammed Abdalla Ali Eltom said that authorities are in constant coordination with India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to secure Behera’s release.
“There is a complete communication blackout in Al Fashir. No one can contact anyone right now. We hope he will not be harmed by mistake. The situation is extremely unpredictable,” Eltom said.
He added that this was not the first time India had reached out.
“Before this case, the MEA had contacted us about another Indian citizen who endured extremely difficult conditions for over 500 days. Both sides are working closely to ensure their safety.”
The war beyond one hostage
The conflict’s reach now spans nearly every corner of Sudan. In North Darfur, clashes between the RSF and the Darfur Joint Protection Force left more than 100 RSF fighters dead. In central Khartoum, a recent RSF drone attack on the presidential palace killed a military spokesperson and three journalists from Sudan TV.
The UN says over 36,000 civilians have fled the Kordofan region alone in recent weeks. Control of El-Obeid, a strategic logistics hub linking Darfur to Khartoum, is now the latest flashpoint, with both sides claiming victories.
India’s diplomatic response
India’s Ministry of External Affairs is understood to be in direct touch with Khartoum and the Sudanese embassy in Delhi. Officials are exploring safe corridors and local contacts to negotiate Behera’s release, while Odisha state authorities remain in contact with his family.
A MEA source told NDTV that New Delhi is monitoring the situation 'minute by minute' but acknowledged that ground access is nearly impossible because of RSF control over key cities and blackouts.
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