MANAMA (Sputnik) — A local Sudanese engineer accompanying Russian UTair pilots working with a UN mission, who have been kidnapped in Sudan, is among those captured, a source in the Sudan Foreign Ministry told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
“He was in the same bus, and was also taken in an unknown direction,” the source said.
Two Russian pilots working for a company contracted by the UNAMID (United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur) were kidnapped by masked gunmen on January 29, Central Darfur Governor Jaafar Abdelhakam told Sputnik on Monday. Later in the day the Russian Embassy in Sudan confirmed the kidnapping. On Tuesday the information was confirmed by the UN and Africa Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and the UTair.
UTair said in a statement that a UNAMID's minibus was blocked by six cars. Passengers, threatened by guns, were forced to leave the bus and were taken to an unknown location.
The hostage-takers have not outlined their demands yet.
