Red Cross staffer freed in Darfur

A Franco-British staffer of the international Red Cross kidnapped in Darfur last October was freed yesterday, the last captive aid worker in the war-torn Sudanese region to be released.

"I am extremely relieved to be freed. I want to thank everyone involved. I know many people worked for my release," Gauthier Lefevre said after arriving at Khartoum airport.

"It's a very intense day, a little difficult to manage, but I am very happy," added the emotional Mr Lefevre, who was welcomed by a dozen colleagues.

Mr Lefevre, 35, who holds British and French nationality, was in a convoy of two vehicles clearly marked with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) logo when he was seized by gunmen near the Chadian border on October 22.

The kidnappers took their hostage to the Kebkabiyya region, a stronghold of Darfur Arab tribes, Ahmed Tayeb Abu Gurun, head of West Darfur security told reporters at the airport.

Mr Lefevre's abductors deman-ded a ransom but never made any political demands.

"The ICRC did not pay a ransom. It's not our policy," said the organisation's Sudan spokesman, Saleh Dabbakeh.

Mr Lefevre has the unenviable record of having spent the longest time in captivity of any hostage in the region - 147 days - since a wave of kidnappings of foreign aid workers broke out 12 months ago.

They came after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.