UN chief pledges to support efforts to release abducted aid workers in Darfur

July 7, 2009 (DUBLIN) – The United Nations chief, Ban Ki-Moon, pledged to support the ongoing efforts to release two female aid workers detained last week in North Darfur.

Ban made his remarks on Tuesday in the Irish capital Dublin outside the Government Buildings, following talks with Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen.

“I assure you that we will spare no efforts in providing the necessary support and cooperation — in terms of logistics, in terms of collecting information, in terms of working together with the Sudanese government — to first of all identify and locate and then try to have a safe return of your national.”

Unknown gunmen kidnapped Irish Sharon Commins and Ugandan Hilda Kawuki from the compound of the Irish aid group GOAL in Kutum, North Darfur state, on in the vening of Friday July 3.

On Monday morning, a team of Irish diplomats and trained negotiators arrived in the north Darfur capital of El Fasher. The delegation will try to contact the kidnappers as the identity of kidnappers whereabouts of the two aid workers remain uncertain.

The kidnapping was the third of foreign aid workers since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant on March 4 for Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir for alleged war crimes in Darfur.

(ST)