Darfur gunmen say targeting France not aid workers.

November 26, 2009 (KHARTOUM) -- An armed group from the restive region of Darfur said today they are targeting French aid workers to force French government to change its policy. A Darfur based gunmen kidnapped two French aid workers on Sunday evening in the northeast of the Central African Republic. They were seized in Birao, a town located near three borders where the Central African Republic adjoins Sudan and Chad. On October 22, A French aid worker of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Gauthier Lefevre was abducted by unidentified armed men near El-Geneina the capital of western Darfur state. The Freedom Eagles of Africa, Abu Mohamed Rizeigi, told the AFP Thursday France was being punished because it had failed to change tack when the group held two other aid workers, an Irishwoman and a Ugandan, earlier this year. "We are not targeting the non-governmental organizations, we are targeting France," Rizeigi said of the abductions of International Committee of the Red Cross agronomist Laurent Maurice and two staff in the CAR of relief agency Triangle, whose names have not been released. "We want France to change policy in the region." Sudan and France have troubled relations since Khartoum accuses regularly Paris of supporting blindly the Chadian President who is seen as supporter of Darfur rebels. Also Sudan had been for longtime asking France to force a rebel leader, Abdel Whaid Al-Nur, to participate in the peace process or to expel him. But the most important is the French support to the war crimes court, ICC, which released an arrest warrant against President Omer Al-Bashir last March. However there are doubts on the claims of the gunmen as they are already asked the ICRC to a ransom that the Red Cross refuses to pay. Yesterday Sudanese security service said had arrested three people who participated in the kidnapping of the French aid worker last month in West Darfur state. Among the three, a woman accuse of allowing the abductors to stay at her house. One of the two French aid workers kidnapped yesterday said they are still in Chad dismissing remarks they were transported to Sudan. (ST)

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