South African UN worker held in Sudan
KATHARINE CHILD | 2012-04-30 00:08:14.0
A South Sudan soldier walks at a ruptured oil well in South Sudan's Unity State. South Sudan has been embroiled in cross-border violence with Sudan that the UN says is threatening world peace.
Image by: STRINGER / REUTERS
Within 24hours of a South African being killed in Somalia another was captured in Sudan.
Saturday's capture of Thabo Siave came after Lodewyk Pietersen, 55, was shot dead on Friday in Puntland, Somalia, allegedly by his bodyguard.
Pietersen, employed by South African security firm Saracens International, was said to be on an anti-piracy operation.
He worked in Somalia for 18 months training locals in anti-piracy operations.
Pietersen's son, Ben, described his father, a former defence force paratrooper, as a devout Christian "who lived his life without any regrets".
"We spoke to him every day. We last saw him six weeks ago when he was on holiday in South Africa. We will miss him," said Pietersen.
Saracens International declined to comment.
Siave, who works for Mechem, a subsidiary of state-owned arms company Denel, was part of a UN team removing land mines in South Sudan.
He was captured on Saturday by Sudan soldiers who also took a Briton, a Norwegian and a Southern Sudanese. All four were part of the UN mission in South Sudan.
Mechem chief executive Ashley Williams confirmed the capture and said Siave was alive and well in Sudan's capital, Khartoum.
He denied early reports that the team had been in Sudan and had been involved in military operations.
"We expect them to be released at the earliest possible time and are working with the UN and South African diplomatic representatives to ensure that they are not harmed."
Department of International Relations spokesman Clayson Monyela said the department was aware of both incidents.
Newer articles:
- Surging number of hungry flee Sudan war: UN - AFP - 30/04/2012 12:00
- Political Blotter: Barbara Lee to co-chair Sudan Caucus - San Jose Mercury News - 30/04/2012 09:01
- South Sudan police to withdraw from Abyei - Sudan Tribune - 30/04/2012 06:30
- Bashir Declares State of Emergency on South Sudan Border, Plus Trade Embargo - About - News Issues - 30/04/2012 06:00
- US lends support in hunt for notorious African warlord - CNN - 30/04/2012 04:15
Older news items
- Sudan declares state of emergency on South border - FOX 4 News - 29/04/2012 23:22
- Sudan declares emergency on border with south - 7Online WSVN-TV - 29/04/2012 22:13
- In Sudan and South Sudan, questions of nationality - Reuters - 29/04/2012 21:29
- Fresh attacks on South Sudanese troops - Radio Netherlands - 29/04/2012 18:00
- South Sudan says to quit border zone, seeks end to clashes - WRNI - 29/04/2012 15:00
Latest news items (all categories):
- South Sudan’s ‘Game Of Thrones’ Continues – Analysis - 01/12/2024 17:47
- South Sudan secured over 282 150 doses of oral cholera vaccine to contain the cholera outbreak - 01/12/2024 17:43
- The idea of one nation and one people is a distortion of our reality!!! - 29/11/2024 12:54
- In South Sudan with aid boss John Rynne: 'The maps drawn in colonial times are starting to erode' - 29/11/2024 12:47
- 'They have nothing': Aid workers struggle to save lives at edge of war-torn Sudan - 29/11/2024 12:36
See also (all categories):
Random articles (all categories):
- China overtakes Japan as No.2 economy: FX chief - 31/07/2010 08:29
- UNICEF - Education Officer (NO-B), (Fixed-Term) Aweil, South Sudan - 14/01/2017 18:39
- U.N. warns more than one million may flee Sudan bloodshed - 30/05/2023 04:48
- South Sudan’s Kiir to run in first-ever presidential election - 07/07/2023 04:30
- Chinese peacekeepers expected in South Sudan at start of 2015: U.N - 23/10/2014 08:26
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 58284 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 22212 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 21350 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 18861 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 17966 times