29 Chinese kidnapped workers held in Sudan released
Twenty-nine Chinese workers abducted by rebels in Sudan more than a week ago have been released, state media said.
Chinese workers who escaped after being abducted sit after arriving at Khartoum Airport last week. The Chinese embassy in Khartoum said though 17 Chinese workers were taken to safety by the Sudan army after they escaped the rebels, another 29 were still held by rebels, state media said. The 29 Chinese kidnapped workers still held were released Tuesday.
Reuters
Khartoum, Sudan/Beijing
Sudanese rebel forces released 29 Chinese workers kidnapped 10 days ago in the main oil-producing state of South Kordofan, where the聽army聽has been fighting insurgents for seven months,聽Sudan's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
The incident had been an embarrassment for the Sudanese government, which is trying to boost investment from聽China, its main political and trade ally, as it seeks to overcome a severe economic crisis.
Rebels of the SPLM-North said they had taken the construction workers for their own security after a battle with the Sudanese Army聽in South Kordofan, which borders newly independent聽South Sudan.
Caught up in a dispute
But the workers had apparently become caught up in a dispute between Khartoum and rebels who are trying to attract attention to the plight of 417,000 civilians who have fled fighting in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, another Sudanese border state.
Khartoum has restricted access for aid workers and the聽United Nations聽in both states, triggering warnings by the United States that a large-scale famine could break out.
The Sudanese foreign ministry said the 29 Chinese workers were flown out from Kauda in South Kordofan by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to neighbouring聽Kenya.
"The Sudanese foreign ministry affirms to the government and people of聽China聽that聽Sudan's government聽seeks to protect Chinese investments and workers involved in it," a ministry statement said.
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SPLM-North rebel spokesman聽Arnu Ngutulu Lodi聽and an ICRC official in Khartoum declined to comment.
Top officials of the SPLM-North last week met Chinese officials in聽Ethiopia.
Both Sudanese border states are home to large communities who used to side with the South during decades of civil war with Khartoum and now complain of marginalisation after聽Juba聽became independent in July under a peace deal.
The SPLM is now the ruling party in the independent south and denies supporting SPLM-North rebels across the border, as Khartoum says.
China聽is an ally of both north and south and the main buyer of聽South Sudanese聽oil as well the biggest investor in聽Sudan.
Western diplomats say聽China聽has the best chance of defusing tensions between Khartoum and聽Juba, which are locked in a row over sharing oil wealth, dividing up debt and ending violence on both sides of their joint.
Under Chinese pressure
The kidnap was the third abduction of Chinese people in聽Sudan聽since 2004 and highlighted the risks to聽China's expansion in聽Africa聽in search of minerals and energy.
Beijing聽had faced immense pressure to secure the safe return of the abducted workers. State-owned newspapers called for more protection for聽China's overseas workers as the world's second-largest economy expands its investments around the globe.
The workers belonged to state-owned聽Sinohydro聽Corporation, a hydropower engineering and construction company.
A total of 47 Chinese workers were present when the SPLM-North rebels originally attacked. Eighteen fled and one was killed after a rescue attempt, according to Chinese media.
Khartoum counts on聽China聽to boost investment as it seeks to overcome the loss of three-quarters of its oil production to聽South Sudan聽when it became independent under a 2005 peace agreement ending the civil war with Khartoum.
Most Western firms shun聽Sudan聽due to a US trade embargo imposed first in 1997 when Khartoum was hosting prominent militants such as聽Osama bin Laden.
SPLM-North is one of a number of rebel movements in underdeveloped border areas who say they are fighting to overthrow Sudanese President聽Omar Hassan al-Bashirand end what they see as the dominance of the Khartoum political elite.
(Writing by聽聽and Sui-Lee Wee, Editing by Ron Popeski)