Darfur aid worker freed

KHARTOUM, Thursday

Sudanese forces freed a Red Cross aid worker from kidnappers who had held him in Darfur for 147 days, a security chief said on Thursday.

Mr Gauthier Lefevre, who has dual French and British nationality, was the last foreign hostage being held in the region. Appearing very thin and with bloodshot eyes, he arrived in Khartoum to be greeted by his wife and colleagues.

“We are extremely happy that he has been released. This has been the longest kidnapping in the recent history of Darfur,” ICRC spokesman Saleh Dabbakeh told Reuters.

Mr Lefevre said he was very tired and thanked those who worked to release him. “I just want to say that I’m extremely relieved to be released,” he told reporters. “It was a very interesting and difficult journey.”

Had suspended

The ICRC had suspended its activities in the region following Lefevre’s kidnap and that of another ICRC aid worker from eastern Chad which borders Darfur.

“We hope this does not happen again because the biggest losers are the people who have been affected by the armed conflict in Darfur,” Dabbakeh said.

Sudan’s head of security in West Darfur, Abu Gurun, told Reuters Sudanese forces had taken Lefevre from the kidnappers by force but without exchanging fire.

“In the end he was released by force really,” he said. He added a group of 10 soldiers had monitored the kidnappers until they were able to snatch Mr Lefevre.