Abducted engineers released in East Darfur

Two engineers, abducted by an armed group on 6 October in East Darfur, were released on Friday. Khojali Yousef Hassan El Tom, engineer at the East Darfur state Ministry of Planning, and Ahmed Hamed Dud, contractor, were kidnapped by gunmen when they were on their way from Ed Daein, capital of East Darfur, to Khartoum to visit their families on the occasion of the Eid El Adha. After a ransom of SDG250,000 ($43,570) was paid, the engineers were released on Friday evening. One of their relatives told Radio Dabanga that the engineers had been held in the area of Um Waragat, about 10 km west of Ed Daein, capital of East Darfur.The kidnappers had originally demanded a ransom a ransom of SDG200,000 ($35,170) for the release of Dud, and SDG150,000 ($26,380) for El Tom. File photo: A Darfuri militiaman, wearing a uniform of the security forces, rests under a tree (Andrew Carter) Related:Gunmen demand ransom for East Darfur engineers (17 October 2014) Two engineers abducted in East Darfur (8 October 2014)