ICRC negotiates return of officials

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is negotiating to bring home two of its workers, both Swiss nationals, who were abducted in Kong area southeast of Pariang, in southern Sudan by SPLA rebels on 18 February, ICRC spokesman Juan Martinez told IRIN today (Monday). The Swiss nationals were part of a group of seven sent on an assessment mission to the area. The SPLA says it is still interrogating the others who included three government officials and two members of the local Red Crescent Society. The SPLA maintains it offered to release the two ICRC members immediately, but they declined demanding the release of “their Sudanese colleagues and the government officials.” “We appreciate SPLA’s offer to ICRC to go for the officials. ICRC is now negotiating the practical modalities for the people to leave the country,” Martinez said, adding: “It can take a few days to reach an agreement, the situation could remain the same a few more days.” ICRC has to request to fly into the region to pick up the officials. It also has to notify all parties concerned and reach a consensus on how the handover should take place, Martinez explained. SPLA spokesman Samson Kwaje told IRIN the SPLA was now holding six people since one of the Sudan Red Crescent workers had escaped, but he was emphatic that the release only applied to the Swiss nationals.