Three Russian pilots have been kidnapped in Darfur, in Sudan. The UN World Food Programme, for which the pilots work, confirmed the news. The governor of South Darfur, Abdel Hamid Kasha, told that it was not known who the kidnappers were and that they were being pursued. This is the latest in a series of kidnappings of foreign aid workers in Darfur in recent months. Ransoms are usually demanded. Since President Omar al-Bashir was indicted in 2009 by the International Criminal Court for war crimes allegedly committed in Darfur, the situation for humanitarian workers has greatly deteriorated. About 300,000 people have died since fighting began in 2003, and some 2.7 million people have fled their homes as a result of the conflict. Rebel movements in Darfur have been fighting government soldiers and Arab militias, backed by Khartoum.
