KHARTOUM: Four South African peacekeepers from the joint UN-African Union mission who were kidnapped this week in the western Sudanese region of Darfur are “in good health,” UNAMID told AFP on Friday.
“We were able to talk to them this morning. They are in good health,” UNAMID spokesman Nouredine Mezni said. “We are doing our outmost to secure their release.”
“The Sudanese authorities know the identity of the kidnappers but want to make sure their release takes place,” Mezni said.
South African authorities said on Thursday, they were “confident” the issue would be resolved soon.
The kidnap of the four UNAMID police – two men and two women – was confirmed on Wednesday. It is the largest single abduction of foreigners in the war-torn region.
In a statement to the official SUNA news agency, Jibril Bukhari Abbas, the head of Darfur group calling itself the People’s Democratic Struggle Movement said one of its members had carried out the kidnapping but without instruction.
Bukhari said the abductor “was unaware of an agreement which was concluded between the government and the People’s Democratic Struggle Movement which has joined the peace march,” SUNA reported.
Ibrahim al-Dukki has claimed the kidnapping but said that Mohammad Abdullah, not Bukhari, was head of the movement, indicating there might be splinter groups. – AFP
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