It is understood that Mr Noonan was held by armed bandits not aligned to any
of the rebel groups who have waged a guerrilla war against Sudan’s
government since 2003.
The worst of the fighting in Darfur has now passed, but groups of armed men
have taken advantage of the continuing lack of state-imposed security to
target aid workers to steal their vehicles, communication equipment and
personal belongings.
Mr Noonan’s release was negotiated by South Darfur authorities alongside
British hostage release experts drafted in by the British embassy in
Khartoum, and United Nations specialists. No ransom was paid, officials
stressed.
“It is with great pleasure that we can confirm the release of the British
hostage Patrick Noonan, who was kidnapped in Sudan three months ago,”
said Henry Bellingham, Africa minister at the Foreign Office.
“Patrick’s family and friends must be delighted, having endured the
ordeal of his captivity with great strength and dignity.”
The United Nations’ most senior official in Darfur, Ibrahim Gambari, who heads
the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission, called on Khartoum to track
down the kidnappers.
“It is now crucial that the government of Sudan authorities pursue the
hostage-takers and bring them to justice,” he said.
Mr Noonan is undergoing medical checks and will return to Britain by the
weekend, a Western diplomat in Khartoum with knowledge of yesterday’s events
told The Daily Telegraph.
He had already spoken to his children by telephone, the diplomat added.
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