Press Releases
JEM:Kidnapped Chinese Oil workers in Sudan
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Oct 30, 2008 - 9:54:10 AM

 Justice & Equality Movement Sudan (JEM)

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  www.sudanjem.com

[email protected]

Urgent Statement

Kidnapped Chinese Oil workers in Sudan

For over a week the Government of Sudan (GoS) has been accusing JEM of masterminding the kidnapping of 9- Chinese oil workers in Kordofan, Sudan. JEM ceased to respond to such baseless accusations since the government itself accused several other parties including local tribesmen, disgruntled youth from the region and a so-called breakaway faction of JEM. As the tragedy is unfolding itself in a bloodbath and GoS is desperately seeking a scapegoat, JEM finds it obligatory to clarify its position as below:

1. JEM pays full respect to international humanitarian law and condemns in the strongest language the kidnapping and killing of civilians irrespective of their nationalities or the work they are engaged in.
2. While JEM holds the Chinese Government responsible besides GoS for all the atrocities committed in Darfur including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity through its political, diplomatic and military support of the regime in Khartoum, JEM is wise enough not to hold innocent civilians for the evil acts of their governments. JEM is a mature movement that respects human rights and does not and will not condone or approve hostage taking or abduction of civilians by any party leave alone doing it itself.
3. JEM has long proclaimed the oil fields in Sudan as legitimate military targets and advised all oil workers to stay away. Civilians caught during last year�s military operation in the oil fields were treated cordially and released unharmed.
4. The Sudan government named certain group of local tribesmen giving them different brands including a splinter group from JEM, located their whereabouts with precision and sent local notables to negotiate the release of the kidnapped peacefully. GOS seemed to have betrayed the negotiating parties and ventured to free captives by force. When it failed in its attempt and killed part of the captives, it came out accusing JEM for its own blunders and denying its military operation which is confirmed by its partner the Chinese government who said the captives were killed during an operation to free them.
5. JEM reiterates that it did not take any hostages or kidnapped any civilians and has nothing to do with what happened to the Chinese in the area of Kordofan. It is also up to the GOS to substantiate its allegations against JEM and explain its failure to settle the crisis peacefully.

Ahmed Hussain Adam

Spokesperson Information Secretary

London 28.10.2008