Khartoum secures release of 3 foreigners held by South Sudan rebels

Sudan government on Thursday said it secured the release of three foreign oil workers held by a South Sudanese rebel group since March 19.

The three workers, two Indians and a Pakistani, arrived in the Sudanese capital Khartoum Thursday.

A Sudanese mediation led to the release of the three workers who work for the DAR, a joint consortium of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), China's Sinopec and Malaysia's Petronas.

"At a request by the Indian and Pakistani governments, Sudan, in complete coordination with the Ethiopian government, has managed to bring back the two countries' three citizens who were seized by South Sudanese opposition groups inside South Sudan," said a Sudanese Security Source Thursday.

"Intensive efforts have been made that resulted in the release of the three workers who arrived in Khartoum Thursday through Addis Ababa, and have been handed to the Indian and Pakistani embassies," he noted.

Iyas Hussein Jamal, the released Pakistani worker, told reporters that "I was arrested on March 19, and received good treatment from the group which held me. I'm now in good health."

On March 19, South Sudan rebels announced the arrest of three foreign oil workers.

South Sudan has been witnessing a civil war since 2013 when fighting erupted between the government army and defectors loyal to former South Sudan Vice-President Riek Machar. Endit