Aid Workers Freed in Darfur

Workers Freed in Darfur

March.14.2009

(CNN) — The four Doctors Without Borders staffers abducted earlier this week in Sudan’s Darfur region have been “safely released,” the group said on Saturday.

Members of the humanitarian group Medecins San Frontieres are greeted at the airport after their release.

Canadian nurse Laura Archer, Italian doctor Mauro D’Ascanio, French coordinator Raphael Meunier and Sudanese watchman Sharif Mohamadin were abducted Wednesday.

They appeared Saturday on Sudanese TV following their release, and the TV news said they had arrived in the city of El-Fasher. They “appear to be OK” and were headed to the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, the aid group said.

Five people were taken in Serif Umra in north Darfur. However, one of them, a Sudanese staffer, was freed earlier. The four work for the Belgian section of Doctors Without Borders, also known as Medicins Sans Frontieres.

“We are incredibly relieved that our colleagues are safe and in good health,” said Christopher Stokes, general director of the Belgian section of MSF.

Read More.

BBC

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Sudan Gov’t: Kidnapped Aid Workers to be Freed Soon

VOA News, 14 March 2009

Sudanese officials say three foreign aid workers who were kidnapped in Darfur earlier this week will be freed shortly.

Earlier reports said the Canadian nurse, Italian doctor and French coordinator had already been released.  Sudanese staff who were with the trio at the time of their abduction have been freed.

Unidentified gunmen kidnapped the employees of the Belgian branch of Doctors Without Borders on Wednesday near El-Fasher, in North Darfur state.  Sudanese authorities have blamed bandits.

Read more. Also see article from the AP.

Earlier articles, like this one from the LA Times, reported a statement from the Italian Foregin Minister that the workers were freed, but this has been now contradicted.

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