‘Ransom paid for abducted oil workers in Sudan’: sources

Five of the eight abductees who were kidnapped by an armed group at the Kanar oil field in West Kordofan two weeks ago are still in captivity. On Friday, three foreign abductees, two Chinese and an Algerian, were released. Five Sudanese workers are still being detained, the Sudanese Minister of Petroleum, Makawi Mohamed Awad, said in a press statement on Sunday. According to Awad, the three foreigners were freed as a result of the authorities’ dialogue with the kidnappers. They were released in the area of El Meiram, and handed over in Muglad, West Kordofan. The minister denied that the Sudanese government or any of the Chinese companies had paid a ransom. Local sources reported to Radio Dabanga that the kidnappers had demanded SDG17 million ($2,966 million) for the release of the eight abductees. The sources said that a ransom of SDG2,7 million ($472,000) was paid by China for the release of the two Chinese and the Algerian. File photo: The released oil workers upon their arrival at Khartoum Airport, 2 May 2014 (Suna) Related:Abducted foreign oil workers freed in West Kordofan (3 May 2014)Popular Front of Sudan claims abduction of oil engineers in West Kordofan (24 April 2014) Oil engineers abducted in Sudan’s West Kordofan (20 April 2014)