Egypt frees Sudanese miners after unexplained delay: ambassador

August 20, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Egyptian government has released 36 Sudanese miners who were jailed after they unknowingly crossed the borders in search for gold.

The Sudanese ambassador in Cairo Abdul-Mahmoud Abdul-Halim was quoted by state news agency (SUNA) as saying that he was contacted by the Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab who told him that the final decision to release the Sudanese miners was issued.

Mahlab underscored that the strong relations between the two countries would continue to get stronger, Abdul-Halim said.

The envoy said the embassy has sent cars to pick up the miners from al-Qanatir prison and bring them to a hotel where they will spend the night, and then be honored by the embassy before they are flown on a chartered plane to Khartoum on Friday.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued an amnesty earlier this month for the miners in response to a pardon by his Sudanese counterpart Omer Hassan al-Bashir of 101 fishermen who were detained by Khartoum since April. They were charged with espionage and put on trial.

But Cairo held off the actual release prompting Khartoum to express disappointment over the delay and escalating the matter with Egyptian officials who attributed the holdup to logistical issues.

(ST)