12 Sudanese workers released after 2-day reprisal hostage-taking in South Darfur camp
April 13, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — Representatives of a camp in South Darfur said they brokered jointly with the hybrid peacekeeping mission and a UN humanitarian body (OCHA) the release of twelve Sudanese aid workers held in Kalma after the arrest of a local aid worker.
Sudanese security service arrested on Monday 11 April a local aid worker employed by a US relief group, the International Medical Corps (IMC) from the camp. In reprisal, on the same day the relatives of the arrested aid worker, Jibril Ahmed Nourein, reacted by taking 12 workers conducting a vaccination campaign inside Kalma.
The UNAMID said, in its daily briefing of Wednesday, that the 12 workers were arrested by a youth group from the camp.
“We have brokered the release of the 12 Sudanese government workers who were held by Jibril’s relatives, said said the spokesperson of Darfur displaced people, Hussein Abu Sharati. He further said they blamed the family for this action and urged them to “show some self-restraint in this regard in the interest of Kalma residents”.
Abu Sharati went to contest the information released by the hybrid operation that the 12 aid workers were taken hostage by “a youth group” from the camp, adding “such disinformation tarnish the image of the residents and presents them as trouble-makers”.
He also regretted that the UNAMID abstained from denouncing the arrest of the local aid worker by the Sudanese security service and focused only on “the emotional reaction of Jibril’s family”.
On Monday the IDPs spokesperson told Sudan Tribune that Jibril was arrested by seven armed men from his office inside the camp.
The largest Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp which is the home of some 100,000 residents is seen by the government as very politicized and home of rebel supporters.
Last Year the authorities decided to relocate the camp far from the state capital Nyala following clashes between the supporters of two rival rebel groups over the peace process.
Kalma witnessed in August 2008 one of the most dramatic clashes between the residents and the Sudanese security forces where some 30 people had been killed and many others wounded.
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DASODIKO
12 Sudanese workers released after 2-day reprisal hostage-taking in South Darfur camp
How can UNAMID speak without collecting all information from the both sides. Those who run http://www.allafrica.com which is supported by NCP have caused much damage to people of Darfur and South Sudan. How can such web page that holds the name of Africa be given to Sudan Arab Islamist to play with it and and kill the Africans.
Paul Ongee
12 Sudanese workers released after 2-day reprisal hostage-taking in South Darfur camp
The reprisal hostage-taking by the family members of Jibril Ahmed Nourein is outrageous. They simply lost their mind. They are supposed to direct their ire to security agents who did the arrest instead of another aid workers helping them in the camp. Unless the family members need the NCP-seconded aid workers to do the job, they made a worng move.