OilVoice - Three Yemenis Workers Killed and Two Missing in Southern Sudan

Three Yemenis Workers Killed and Two Missing in Southern Sudan

31 October 2008

Three Sudanese workers with the Yemeni HTC oil company have been killed and two Yemenis are presumed missing after they were ambushed in Unity State, the southern Sudanese state announced on Thursday.

The group was ambushed while commuting along a road between the Heglig oil-producing region, in South Kordofan, and Mayom County, in Unity State, on Wednesday. The incident occurred close to the state capital, Bentiu.

So far an Arab nomadic group, known as the Baggara tribe, that grazes cattle in Unity State, has thus far been burdened with the blame for the hostage grabbing.

HTC Yemen Sudan manager Abdelkarim al-Harabi refrained from confirming the abductions. But, ah-Harabi was able to say that three ambushed workers had been killed, adding that amidst speculation: “We don't know who is responsible.”

The news came amid the saga of the band of the nine captured Chinese CNPC oil workers, of whom four have died, and two remain missing, as a result of their kidnapping from South Kordofan, in Sudan, on October 18.

United Nations peacekeeping forces in Sudan condemned the killings of the Chinese workers by their armed kidnappers during a failed rescue attempt. However, the facts surrounding the killings remain unclear with both sides offering alternate accounts of proceedings.

Khartoum has pointed the figure for the kidnapping and killing of the Chinese workers at the Darfur rebel group the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). The group has denied any involvement.

In an official statement, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), said that it: “condemned the kidnapping and killing of four Chinese oil workers in Sudan.

“UNMIS offers its sincere condolences to the bereaved families and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the remaining hostages,” the statement added.

The mineral-laden region that lies between north and south Sudan has experienced an escalating number of attacks against foreign oil workers during the last six months, and has become a threat to current, and future, investment in the nation’s most crucial industry.

Although the 2005 peace deal that ended two decades of war and atrocity between Khartoum and southern rebels successfully reformed the quasi-autonomous Government of South Sudan, it has failed to bring about lasting stability in the region.

The Government importantly has rights to 50% of the oil revenues generated in its territories. While the nation at large produces in the region of 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil.

Wednesday's ambush quickly undermined Khartoum's vow to spare no efforts to protect staff in oil fields and investments across the country.