Darfur aid worker freed after 147-day kidnap ordeal

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese forces freed a Red Cross aid worker from kidnappers who had held him in Darfur for 147 days, a security chief said on Thursday.

Gauthier Lefevre, who has dual French and British nationality, was the last foreign hostage being held in the region. Appearing very thin and with bloodshot eyes, he arrived in Khartoum to be greeted by his wife and colleagues.

"We are extremely happy that he has been released. This has been the longest kidnapping in the recent history of Darfur," ICRC spokesman Saleh Dabbakeh told Reuters.

Lefevre said he was very tired and thanked those who worked to release him.

"I just want to say that I'm extremely relieved to be released," he told reporters. "It was a very interesting and difficult journey."

The ICRC had suspended its activities in the region following Lefevre's kidnap and that of another ICRC aid worker from eastern Chad which borders Darfur.

"We hope this does not happen again because the biggest losers are the people who have been affected by the armed conflict in Darfur," Dabbakeh said.

He added the ICRC had not paid a ransom for the release.

Sudan's head of security in West Darfur, Abu Gurun, told Reuters Sudanese forces had taken Lefevre from the kidnappers by force but without exchanging fire.

"In the end he was released by force really," he said. He added a group of 10 soldiers had monitored the kidnappers until they were able to snatch Lefevre.

"We were intent that there be no exchange of fire so that we could guarantee his safety," he said. "He (Lefevre) was a personal friend of mine."

Gurun said one of the kidnappers was in custody, adding: "We will arrest (these) people and we will send them to court."

The United Nations estimates some 300,000 people died in Darfur's humanitarian crisis, sparked by a 2003 rebellion and a government counter-insurgency campaign.

KIDNAPPINGS INCREASE

Kidnappings of foreign aid workers in Darfur were rare until last year's International Criminal Court arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, accused of war crimes in Darfur.

Sudan rejects the ICC and Bashir is running for re-election in April's first multi-party elections in 24 years.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner issued a statement welcoming Lefevre's release.

"This represents relief and great joy for all of us. My thoughts go to our compatriot, who is seeing a long and painful ordeal draw to a close, as well as to his family, his friends and his colleagues whose happiness I share," he said.

Armed men seized Lefevre as he was returning to El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, after a field mission, travelling in one of two clearly marked ICRC vehicles.

His kidnappers initially demanded a $1 million ransom which Sudan refused to pay, a security source told Reuters.

The world's largest humanitarian operation was established to help the more than 2 million driven from their homes by the Darfur fighting but, following the ICC arrest warrant, Bashir expelled 13 aid agencies.

After reports that ransoms had been paid for some of the foreign aid workers taken hostage over the past year in Darfur, kidnappings became more common.

But Sudan has denied paying any ransoms, saying the only money paid was to tribal elders to facilitate mediation.

(Additional reporting by Tamora Vidaillet in Paris; Editing by Charles Dick)