Kidnapped Bulgarian Helicopter crew of World Food Programme Freed

07/06/2011 12:38

Three Bulgarian helicopter crew kidnapped in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region while working on a UN contract were released on Monday after 145 days in captivity, the World Food Programme said. “They were released today. We still don’t know the circumstances of their release… They were held in captivity for 145 days,” WFP spokeswoman Amor Almagro said.

Three Bulgarian helicopter crew kidnapped in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region while working on a UN contract were released on Monday after 145 days in captivity, the World Food Programme said.
“They were released today. We still don’t know the circumstances of their release… They were held in captivity for 145 days,” WFP spokeswoman Amor Almagro said.“I can assure you that the World Food Programme did not pay any ransom for them,” she added.
The three aircrew were abducted by armed men on 13 January at a landing strip in Um-Shalaya, 60 kilometres (35 miles) southeast of El-Geneina, the state capital of West Darfur.
The men, who were working for the UN Humanitarian Air Service, which is managed by the WFP, appeared to be in good health, the agency said in a statement.

(source: AFP)