Efforts to free two women aid workers from Ireland and Uganda kidnapped by gunmen in Sudan’s Darfur almost a month ago are ”ongoing”, officials said on Tuesday.
A gang of armed men kidnapped Irish national Sharon Commins and Ugandan Hilda Kawuki from the offices of the Irish aid group Goal in the North Darfur city of Kutum on July 3.
”Efforts are ongoing,” a senior official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Officials from Goal in Sudan declined to comment.
However, Goal’s president and founder, John O’Shea, released a statement on Friday saying that ”the Irish government, the Sudanese government and Goal are working around the clock in Sudan” to secure the release of the hostages.
”We will continue to be unsparing in our efforts,” O’Shea added.
A Sudanese guard was also seized but later released.
The July 3 kidnapping was the third such act directed at foreign aid workers since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant in March for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes in Darfur.
The mood soured towards foreign aid groups after the ruling, with Sudan expelling 13 aid agencies.
However, officials have said the kidnappers are bandits wanting money.
Previous kidnappings ended peacefully with the hostages being released — the first after four days, and second batch after 26 days, the same length of time as the pair from Goal have now been held.
The Darfur conflict erupted in February 2003 when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Khartoum government and its militia allies.
The United Nations says up to 300 000 people have died and 2,7-million have fled their homes since the conflict broke out. Sudan puts the death toll at 10 000. — Sapa-AFP