Three Bulgarian pilots freed from captivity in Sudan
06 June 2011 News
Nickolay Mladenov flew to Sudan to return the three pilots in Bulgaria
"The Bulgarian government is grateful to the Sudanese authorities for the release of Bulgarian pilots, " it said Nikolai Mladenov today in Khartoum. Bulgarian foreign minister arrived in Sudan to accompany freed pilots who will return today in Sofia with a special flight of Air Force.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister met and spoke with the three Bulgarians who are in very good condition.
End of an Ordeal: Bulgarian Humanitarian Workers Kidnapped in Darfur Set to Come Home
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov has arrived in Khartoum this morning to meet with the Sudanese authorities. The visit comes at the end of a five-month ordeal for three Bulgarian nationals, who were kidnapped this January in Darfur. Branko Chorbadjisky, Veselin Manolov and Alexander Dimitrov were employees of Heli Air - a contractor for the World Food Programme in Sudan.
The three Bulgarian UN air crew members were seized by armed men on 13th January in Western Darfur. For five months the Bulgarian authorities worked closely with the Government of Sudan, who took the lead in negotiating the release of the humanitarian workers. "Our cooperation was exemplary - the Sudanese services navigated through the complicated web of tribal and family loyalties and coordinated their actions with the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bulgarian intelligence services.
On the occasion of the release of the three Bulgaian pilots kidnapped in Sudan, Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov stated:
The three pilots Branko Chorbadjisky, Veselin Manolov and Alexander Dimitrov who were kidnapped on January 13th 2011 are returning to Bulgaria. I would like to express my gratitude to the Government of Sudan, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, as well as all who contributed to solving this complicated and long crisis. I am happy that after five months in captivity the three Bulgarian nationals will be able to return safely home to their families.
The pragmatic cooperation between the Bulgarian and Sudanese governments was instrumental in securing the release of the three humanitarian workers. Such cooperation was also key for Bulgaria to be able to airlift some 500 Sudanese nationals fleeing the fighting in Libya.
In this case, as in similar other cases, the security of international humanitarian workers remains key. Some of them risk their lives on a daily basis and endure much hardship to be able to assist those in need.
Bulgaria calls on the international community to strengthen its efforts in enhancing the security of international humanitarian workers.