Kidnapped mine clearing staff released in Guinea-Bissau

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – South Africa’s armaments giant, Denel, on Saturday confirmed that the last nine of 12 of its mine clearing staff kidnapped in Guinea-Bissau two months ago have now been freed.

The Senegalese demining workers were part of a group kidnapped by a faction of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance in May.

The rebels released three women in the group later that month, but kept the male captives in custody.

Guinea-Bissau, which gained independence from Portugal in 1974, has been unstable since soldiers seized power in April 2012.

A transitional government holds power and elections are scheduled for November.

"Denel welcomes the release of nine employees from the DLS-Mechem division of the company who were taken hostage in southern Senegal in early May," it said in a statement.

It added that the release was the result of ongoing negotiations and no ransom was paid.

Denel which was established in 1991 is the procurement agency for South African Defence Force.

It has developed a number of notable products, such as the Umkhonto vertical launched air defence missile and the Mokopa tandem warhead anti-tank guided missile.
-0- PANA CU/MA 14July2013