afrol News, 26 October - Foreign oil experts [Canadian and Iraqu] have been kidnapped by rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in Kordofan, Darfur.

The kidnapping came at a time when many Darfur rebels, including JEM have opted to boycott the peace talks with Khartoum in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Saturday. The forum is expected to pave way for the signing of a comprehensive peace deal.

A JEM commander Abdelaziz al-Nur Ashr said the kidnapping, which preceeded and attack on Defra oil deposit, was meant to shatter the Sudanese government's economic agreements with Malaysia, India and China, claiming that the area's natives have been denied the huge oil deposits.

Four oil companies from Sudan, India, China and Malaysia formed the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company in Defra.

The Darfur crisis, which started in 2003, claimed the lives of over 200,000 people as well as displaced millions.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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