MEA intervention: Homecoming for TN natives kidnapped in Sudan & 29 Indian workers held in Saudi

Two Indian nationals, who were abducted by rebels in South Sudan earlier this month, have been released following the intervention of Government of India.

The External Affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, in a tweet conveyed her gratitude to Srikumar Menon, the Indian Ambassador in South Sudan.

According to AFP reports, two Indians, Midhun Ganesh and Edward Ambrose and a Pakistani national Ayaz Hussein Jamali, all workers of the DAR Petroleum, were captured separately from near their workplaces earlier this month in the oil-rich Upper Nile state.

While Ganesh and Ambrose, both natives of Tamil Nadu, were abducted on March 8, Jamali from Sindh in Pakistan was captured on March 19.

"Following requests from Indian and Pakistani governments, the Sudanese and Ethiopian governments coordinated together to secure the release of the three oil workers," Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service said in a statement.

The External Affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, in a tweet conveyed the information of their release. The tweet read, "I am happy to inform about the release of two Indian nationals Midhun and Edward who were abducted in South Sudan."

Ganesh said their captors did not torture or ill-treat them. Jamali said they were kidnapped to send a message to the international community that foreigners are not welcome in South Sudan.

29 workers rescued from Saudi Arabia

On Thursday (March 30), Swaraj tweeted that the External Affairs Ministry had not only rescued 29 workers from Saudi Arabia but was also paying for their return tickets.

In mid march the IT and NRI affairs minister K T Rama Rao had written to Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to rescue 29 migrant workers from Telangana who were held in captivity by a company in Saudi Arabia.

The workers employed by Al-Hajry were held at Al-Hassa in Saudi Arabia, after they approached the labour court in Saudi Arabia.