29 kidnapped Chinese workers released in Sudan

 　　BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Foreign Ministry¹ confirmed Tuesday evening that the 29 Chinese workers kidnapped last month by Sudanese anti-government forces have been released and have arrived safely in Nairobi.

　　"The 29 persons are currently in sound physical condition and in stable moods," the ministry said in a statement.

　　The 29 workers arrived in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, at 22:35 p.m. Beijing Time with the escort of a Chinese government task group and Chinese overseas diplomats², the statement said.

　　According to earlier reports, the workers embarked³ on a plane chartered by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and left the area controlled by anti-government forces in Sudan Tuesday evening.

　　The freed workers will receive physical examinations and rest briefly⁴ in Nairobi before flying home, said the statement.

　　China expressed appreciation⁵ and sincere gratitude⁶ for the unremitting efforts made in the peaceful and safe rescue work by relevant countries,including Sudan and South Sudan, as well as related parties such as the ICRC, said the statement.

　　China also expressed gratitude for Kenya, the United Nations and other countries, organizations and people who extended support, assistance and concern over the issue.

　　According to the statement, leaders of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council attached great importance to the event, and made important instructions while asking the foreign ministry to make every endeavor to safely rescue the kidnapped workers.

　　Relevant Chinese departments such as Foreign Ministry, Chinese embassies based in countries such as Sudan, Kenya, and South Sudan had for days maintained close contacts with related countries and relevant parties such as the ICRC, and spared no effort in the rescue work, said the statement.

　　The release came days after a stream of China's diplomatic maneuvers⁷ and rescue work. Following the incident, the Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Sudan immediately launched an emergency plan.

　　The Chinese government on Jan. 30 evening sent to Sudan a task force consisting officials from the Foreign Ministry and State-owned Assets Supervision⁸ and Administration Commission of the State Council, in efforts to assist the rescue work in Sudan.

　　Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said on Monday that China had used "multiple channels and made every possible effort" to gain the release of the kidnapped workers.

　　A group belonging to the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA)/northern sector⁹ on Jan. 28 attacked a camp of a Chinese company operating at a road construction site in the south Kordofan state of Sudan.

　　A total of 47 Chinese workers were in the camp then, among whom 29 were abducted¹⁰ by the assailants while the other 18 managed to flee to neighboring areas. Among the latter, 17 were later found by the Sudanese army and transferred to a safe location, and one was confirmed dead after having been missing for days.

　　The Sudanese authorities on Tuesday handed over the body of the dead Chinese worker to the Chinese side.

　　Isam Awad Mutwalli, Director of the Chinese Affairs Department at Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed the Sudanese government's deep concern over the tragedy.

　　"This is a rare incident and will not recur¹¹. We reiterate¹² the deeply-rooted Sudan-China ties that are witnessing development in all fields. We pledge to enhance the security measures to protect and secure all the Chinese companies operating in Sudan," he said.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

4 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

5 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

6 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

7 maneuvers   

n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到，她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
• Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句

8 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

9 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

10 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

11 recur   

vi.复发，重现，再发生

参考例句：

• Economic crises recur periodically.经济危机周期性地发生。
• Of course,many problems recur at various periods.当然，有许多问题会在不同的时期反复提出。

12 reiterate   

v.重申，反复地说

参考例句：

• Let me reiterate that we have absolutely no plans to increase taxation.让我再一次重申我们绝对没有增税的计划。
• I must reiterate that our position on this issue is very clear.我必须重申我们对这一项议题的立场很清楚。