Kidnapped WFP Pilots in Darfur Freed

6 June 2011

Khartoum — Three Bulgarian pilots held hostages in Sudan’s western region of Darfur since January this year have been released unharmed and moved to the capital Khartoum.

The World Food Program (WFP), for which the Bulgarian crew members operated a helicopter delivering food aid in the troubled region, on Monday announced their release and said they were transported to Khartoum ahead of departure to their country.

WFP’s regional director in Khartoum, Omar Daudi, thanked the government of Sudan for “the continuous efforts it exerted in securing the release” of the kidnapped pilots.

“The three men appeared in good health condition,” he added.

The kidnapping of the three WFP-contracted pilots, which took place on January 12 near air strip in Um Shalaya area in western Darfur, mirrored another incident in early November when unknown gunmen kidnapped three Latvian crewmen of a helicopter contracted by WFP in south Darfur’s state capital Nyala. The Latvians were released on December 8.

More than twenty-two foreigners were kidnapped in Darfur since March 2008 after Sudan’s president Omar Al-Bashir was issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the background of atrocities committed in Darfur.

All abductees were later freed unharmed amid anecdotal evidence that ransoms were paid to secure their release.

However, WFP stressed in its press release that it did not pay any ransom.

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