The European Commission voiced deep concern January 28 (Friday) about the fate of three aid workers abducted at gunpoint in a rebel-held area of Sudan's troubled Darfur region.

The European Commission has urged the Government of Sudan to abide by its obligations regarding the protection of its own citizens. This includes actively disarming and prosecuting armed groups acting against civilians.

The three Sudanese nationals, who worked for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), were seized at the end of December 2004 but their abduction was only reported this week to avoid compromising efforts to find them.

"The abduction of relief workers undermines basic humanitarian principles that are designed to relieve suffering in conflict zones," said EU aid commissioner Louis Michel in a statement.
"I appeal to all armed groups in Darfur to abide by their commitments signed in Abuja on security and access for humanitarian organisations," he added, referring to pledges made during peace talks in the Nigerian capital.

An EU commission spokesman said the problem was exacerbated by the fact that the area is rebel-held. "The problem is that there is no proper access to that zone so its difficult to send people there to check the facts," he said.

The spokesman, Amadeu Altafaj, added that equipment was also seized with the aid workers.

ADRA is a partner of the EU Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) and is involved in implementing humanitarian aid programs in Sudan.

Darfur has been embroiled in conflict since February 2003, when two rebel movements launched a revolt against Khartoum, claiming that the Arab-led government had marginalised and persecuted the region's black African tribes.

In the subsequent crackdown, pro-government militias have attacked black communities, murdering and raping tens of thousands of civilians and driving more than 1.6 million from their homes, according to the United Nations.