THE SUDANESE government provided money to local tribal chiefs during efforts to secure the release of the two Goal aid workers held for 107 days in Darfur, the country’s humanitarian affairs minister has said.
Abdul Bagi al-Jailani, who oversaw negotiations for the release of Sharon Commins and Hilda Kawuki, told The Irish Timesthat the funds were supplied to "help and facilitate" the work of mediators. The Irish and Ugandan ambassadors were aware of the payments and offered to contribute, he added.
“It was not a ransom given to the wrongdoers, it was money given for facilitation to chiefs and stakeholders in the area.
“This is normal – they rent cars; they need petrol for those cars; and they need to have some things for their families,” he said.
“This was on the table and it was known by the ambassadors . . . They wanted to help but I refused. I said this is the responsibility of the Sudanese government – nobody has to intervene.”
Mr Jailani said he told reporters at the weekend that the payments added up to around 150,000 Sudanese pounds (€44,000).
“I just gave a rough figure. It is not the exact figure because nobody has the right to question me on how much I spent on that action . . . except the government of Sudan,” he said.
“Nobody has provided any money to release the ladies. This is why they were detained for such a long time. We will not provide any ransom because we have 90 NGOs working in this region, and by doing so we would encourage malpractice,” Mr Jailani added.
Last week Musa Hilal, a former militia leader who is now special adviser to Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, told The Irish Times that the kidnappers had received the equivalent of €150,000. Claims to the contrary were “just politicians’ talk”, he said.
Mr Hilal, an influential tribal leader in Darfur, played a key role in securing the women’s release after President al-Bashir asked him to assist in the case.
Asked why Mr Hilal would make such claims regarding a ransom, Mr Jailani replied: “He is the one who should answer that question.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the Government did not pay any money to secure the release of the two aid workers, and assurances had been received from the Sudanese government that it had paid no ransom either.
Goal chief executive John O’Shea said his organisation did not pay any money to any individual or groups in exchange for the women’s release.
A French employee of the International Committee for the Red Cross was kidnapped in west Darfur just days after the Goal workers were freed.
Ms Commins and Ms Kawuki were freed on October 18th last.
Two civilians working for the joint UN-African Union mission in the region who were abducted in August remain in captivity.