2 Russians abducted in Sudan’s Darfur freed: embassy

Two Russians kidnapped in Sudan’s Darfur in January have been freed by their captors, a spokesman for Russia’s embassy in Khartoum said on Saturday.

The two men were abducted by an unidentified group near the town of Zalingei, capital of Central Darfur state, on January 29.

“According to the information we got from the National Intelligence and Security Service yesterday (Friday), they were freed in central Darfur at 7:30 pm (1630 GMT),” embassy spokesman Artur Safukov told AFP.

“There was no ransom or use of force in order to release them. It was a peaceful release,” according to NISS, Safukov said, without giving further details.

The men were due to arrive in Khartoum from Zalingei on Saturday afternoon, and were reportedly in good health, Safukov added.

They were employed by Russia’s UTair company and were in Sudan on a contract for the UN-AU mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Russian media had reported.

The mission deployed to the western region in 2007 to protect civilians and secure aid to Darfur, which has been wracked by conflict since 2003 when ethnic insurgents rebelled against the government complaining of marginalisation.