Government denies abduction of two Sudanese aid workers in Darfur
October 23, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan has dismissed reports about the abduction in Darfur of two Sudanese nationals working for The Kadhafi Foundation, run by Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi’s son.
Today’s earlier reports said the two aid workers had been kidnapped near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, on Wednesday as they supervised association projects.
Sudan’s state minister for humanitarian affairs told the AFP today that security service in El- Fasher told him that the two Sudanese aid workers are free now. They were freed after half an hour. It was a misunderstanding," Abdel Baqi Gilani said.
He further said they had never been kidnapped but declining to elaborate.
Sudanese intelligence services also insisted that the two men had not been abducted, according to a senior official with the UN-African Union peacekeeping force.
Two days ago unidentified gunmen kidnapped a French staffer of the International Red Cross. Gauthier Lefevre, who was kidnapped around midday, was returning with other ICRC staff to El-Geneina after completing a field trip north of the capital of West Darfur to help local communities upgrade their water supply systems.
However, the rebel Justice and Equality Movement accused today the Sudanese security apparatus of being behind the abduction.
Ahmed Hussein Adam, JEM spokesperson told Sudan Tribune the Frenchman had been kidnapped a Bir Bakik, around 12 klm from El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur. He added that Gauthier had met with JEM rebels to discuss the humanitarian situation in Jabel Moon.
State minister Al-Gilani said Lefevre is in "good health" and that he expected him to be released soon.
He also voiced fear of more abductions and urged foreign relief organizations "to bolster security around their offices."
(ST)
Concerning Khadafi foundation aid workers… Well, if you can have some doubts of their humanitarian engagement, they basically have proven that Khartoum is behind all that just by being released in the day.

South Sudan army accuse north of arming tribal feuds
By Ngor Arol Garang
October 24, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The Southern Sudan Minister of SPLA affairs, Lt General Nhial Deng Nhial today accused Northern Sudan authorities of arming rampant tribal conflicts in the region.
Nhial, who led Southern Sudan delegation to the Ugandan capital of Kampala, where African Union Heads of State attended Special Summit on refugees, returnees and internally-displaced persons (IDPs) strongly accused Khartoum government led by the ruling National Congress Party of President Basher of pouring arms in border lines to further submission to the region to spark tribal violence.
"We know it very well that Khartoum and particularly the ruling National Congress Party is arming all Southern militias and Arab tribes in the North -South border as well as some tribes in the south to wreak havoc so GOSS is regarded as incompetent government in the eye of international community," he commented.
He further said South Sudan does not manufacture arms and there are no arms coming into Sudan through the South; "hence wonder where fresh arms gets into the region in bulky, they are imported from the north." .
The NCP which rule the northern Sudan and dominate the government of national unity denied these accusations. Also, UN officials in Sudan insisted on the important lack resource and infrastructures as well as rains shortage to explain this increasing of tribal fighting.
There was no need of weapon smuggling to see that GoSS has difficulties in understanding the concept of ruling a country.