Five Sudanese embassy staff freed in Baghdad

KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Al Qaeda militants in Iraq released
five Sudanese embassy staff on Saturday, Sudan’s foreign
ministry said, after Khartoum announced it was shutting its
Baghdad mission following the kidnappings.

Al Qaeda had threatened to kill the hostages, who included
a diplomat at the embassy, unless Sudan agreed to cut all ties
with Iraq within 48 hours.

Sudan’s state minister for foreign affairs, Al-Samani
Wasila, said: “Yes, they released them. They are in the
(Baghdad) embassy now. They are all fine.”

He gave no further details.

Sudan said on Friday it would shut its embassy in Baghdad.
Al Qaeda militants in Iraq have targeted the embassies of
Muslim countries in an effort to stop them from recognising
Iraq’s U.S.-backed government.

Earlier this year, al Qaeda’s network killed the Egyptian
mission chief in Baghdad, two Algerian envoys, and two Moroccan
embassy staff. The group has sworn to kill other Arab diplomats
if their countries recognize Iraq’s government.

Al Qaeda insurgents have also killed several Western and
Asian hostages, and hundreds of kidnapped Iraqis accused of
cooperating with U.S.-led troops.

The group has only rarely released hostages, but the
freeing of the Sudanese was not the first time it has responded
to concessions from a foreign government. In 2004, the group
freed Filipino truck driver Angelo de la Cruz after Manila
withdrew a small contingent of troops ahead of schedule.

Al Qaeda had threatened to kill the hostage unless Manila
pulled out its troops.