France thanks Sudan’s Bashir for release of Red Cross worker

February 7, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – France has thanked Sudan’s efforts to release a French aid worker from the Red Cross who had been abducted for more than three months in eastern Chad near Sudanese border.

A Darfur based group called Freedom Eagles of Africa kidnapped Laurent Maurice and his colleague on November 9, 2009 from Birao a town located near three borders where the Central African Republic adjoins Sudan and Chad. The group said targeting French aid workers to force French government to change its policy in the region.

French President Adviser for African affairs André Parant who flied to Khartoum following Maurice release yesterday was received on Sunday by Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir in his office with the former hostage.

“I came on behalf of the French authorities to thank President Bashir and the Sudanese authorities for leading efforts that led to the release of the French ICRC worker,” said Parant, after the meeting.

The French envoy told reporters in the Sudanese capital that he had also reminded Bashir of “three other French humanitarian workers who are still being held.”

In Paris, the French Presidency has published a short statement saying that “The President of the Republic (Nicolas Sarkozy) warmly welcomes the release of our compatriot Laurent MAURICE kidnapped in Chad since November 9, 2009 while he was working on behalf of the International Committee of the Red Cross The Head of State thanked all those who contributed to his release.”

The kidnappers freed Laurent Maurice, an agronomist for the International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC), on Saturday after 89 days in captivity, first in Chad and then in Sudan’s volatile Darfur region.

The African Free Eagles said they had released Maurice “on humanitarian grounds” because his conditions were harsh.

However, the group’s spokesperson Abu Mohamed al-Rizeigi said the main reason was a recent improvement in relations between Sudan and Chad. “This is definitely because of French influence and we want France to do more.”

President Bashir faces an outstanding arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur.

European Union (EU) rules prohibit any of its officials from meeting with an individual indicted by the ICC.

In April 2009, Bruno Joubert the former adviser to French president Nicolas Sarkozy for African affairs met with Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir after the release of two aid workers abducted in the restive Darfur.

(ST)