Chinese workers held in Sudan freed

February 7, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – A group of 29 Chinese workers held for 11 days in custody of Sudanese rebels in the country’s border state of South Kordofan have been released and flown abroad.

The construction workers were captured on Saturday, 28 January, by rebel fighters of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLMN) following their military attack on the town of Al-Abbasiya in South Kordofan, 390 miles (630 kilometres) south of the capital Khartoum.

One of the workers were shot and killed during the attack. His body was later handed over by Sudanese authorities to the Chinese embassy in Khartoum.

Sudan’s foreign ministry said in a statement today that all the workers were handed over on Tuesday morning to the International Committee of the Red Cross which flew them from the rebels’ stronghold in Kauda to the Kenyan capital Nairobi, where they have been handed over to the Chinese embassy there.

China’s official news agency Xinhua also confirmed news of their release.

SPLMN rebels, who have been fighting government forces in South Kordofan since July last year, promised to release all workers unharmed.

(ST)