China urges firms in Sudan to strengthen security

China’s commerce ministry yesterday urged companies and personnel operating in Sudan to strengthen security after rebels in the African country captured 29 Chinese workers.
According to the Chinese embassy in Khartoum, the Chinese nationals went missing after insurgents from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North Saturday attacked a campsite belonging to China’s Power Construction Corp.
“The commerce ministry reminds relevant companies and personnel to pay close attention to changes in the local security situation, strengthen their own security and ensure the safety of people and property,” it said in a statement.
The official Xinhua news agency, citing the embassy, said that while 29 workers remained captive, 17 others were moved to safety by the Sudanese army when rebels attacked their camp.
The workers were involved in a road-building project in South Kordofan state.
China is Sudan’s major trading partner, the largest buyer of Sudanese oil, and a key military supplier to the regime in Khartoum.
There is growing international concern over the situation in South Kordofan, where the government is fighting ethnic minority insurgents once allied to the former rebels who now rule South Sudan.
The South gained independence from Khartoum in July last year after decades of civil war.