Indian Embassy urges nationals in Congo to move to safer locations

The Embassy of India in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Sunday said it is closely monitoring the security situation in the central African country and asked all the Indian nationals in Bukavu to immediately depart to safer locations.

The Embassy issued three advisories during the day and recommended that everyone prepare an emergency plan. There are about 1,000 Indian nationals in Congo.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured the eastern Congolese city of Goma and are looking at expanding their area of control.

"There are reports of M23 being only around 20-25 kms away from Bukavu. Given the security situation, we once again advise all Indian nationals residing in Bukavu to immediately depart to safer locations by whatever means available while the airports, borders and commercial routes are still open. We strongly recommend against any travel to Bukavu," the advisory said.

In the latest advisory, the Embassy recommended that everyone prepare an emergency plan and gave instructions to keep, at all times, all essential identity and travel documents with them; keep essential items such as medicines, clothings, travel documents, ready-to-eat food, water, etc. in a bag that can be carried easily, and monitor local media channels for updates.

The Indian Embassy also said that it is collating information on Indian nationals in Bukavu and asked asked them to urgently send relevant information such as full name, passport number, addresses in Congo and India, contact number among other details.

The latest advisory has also given a number (+243 890024313) and a mail ID (cons.kinshasas@mea.gov.in) for Indian nationals to contact in the case of emergency.

The Indian Embassy had originally issued the advisory for all Indian nationals in Bukavu, South Kivu in Congo on January 30  Quoting the Congolese authorities, AP has reported that at least 773 people were killed in Goma and its vicinity this week amid fighting with Rwanda-backed rebels, who captured the city in a major escalation of a decade-long conflict.

Meanwhile, India had on Friday called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Congo and said it is closely following the developments in the central African country.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said about 1,000 Indian nationals are living in Goma. He, however, had said that most of them had moved to safer places following the start of the conflict.

Jaiswal also said that there are around 1,200 Indian troops serving in the country as part of the MONUSCO (UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) peacekeeping mission in eastern Congo.