The Red Cross reports that 29 Chinese workers who were abducted over a week ago have been released by their kidnappers. The Sudanese rebels took the 29 people hostage when they attacked a roadway construction site. There were 17 other workers that managed to get away during the attack. The workers have been flown into Kenya.
The Red Cross flew the workers on one of the aid organization’s planes. The flight took off from South Kordofan, Sudan and landed in Nairobi, Kenya. The workers were then taken to the Chinese embassy where they were turned over to embassy officials. The Red Cross was not part of the negotiations that led to the release of the workers; however, they did assist everyone involved in a humanitarian role. All of the parties involved in this incident agreed that the Red Cross would serve as an intermediary – neutral on all grounds.
China gave its thanks to South Sudan, Sudan, and the Red Cross. The nation’s foreign ministry said that the workers were in good shape physically and would be resting in Kenya before they returned home.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North was responsible for the kidnappings. It’s a branch of a militant guerrilla group that has spent decades fighting in Khartoum. Much of South Sudan is control by members of a minority group and this is also where many of the rebels are from. South Sudan just became the newest country in the world last year.
Sudan has made accusations towards South Sudan that they are arming the militant groups in the South Kordofan region. This is where the Chinese workers were at when they were attacked. The South Sudan government denies those allegations and says that Sudan is doing nothing more than trying to justify a future attack on South Sudan.
