5 HTC oil workers ambushed (by Arab Baggara tribe?) between Heglig, S. Kordofan & Mayom County, Unity, S. Sudan: 3 Sudanese killed, 2 Yemenis missing

More bad news. Thursday, 30 October 2008 (Reuters) report - Three Sudanese oil workers killed in south Sudan - excerpt:

(JUBA, Sudan) Three Sudanese working with the Yemeni HTC oil company were killed and two Yemenis were believed missing after they were ambushed in Unity State in southern Sudan, a spokesman for the state said on Thursday.

Andrea Kuong told Reuters the group was ambushed while travelling between the Heglig oil-producing area in South Kordofan and Mayom County in Unity State on Wednesday.

"Two Yemenis were kidnapped, they (police) believe. But they are not 100 percent sure. They are still missing," he said.

He blamed the incident on the Baggara tribe, an Arab nomadic group that grazes cattle in Unity State. "This is not the first time Baggara have ambushed cars," he said.

The energy-producing region between north and south Sudan has seen escalating attacks against oil workers in the last six months.

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+ + + Two HTC Yemen staff killed in Sudan + + +

More sad news. Wednesday, 29 October 2008 (AFP) report - Two Yemeni oil company staff killed in Sudan - excerpt:

Gunmen shot dead two Sudanese staff from a Yemeni oil company in southern Sudan on Wednesday while they were driving to work, the country manager of the company told AFP.

A Sudanese government official said the gunman had also kidnapped a Yemeni oil worker, but HTC Yemen Sudan-manager Abdelkarim al-Harabi said he could not confirm the abduction.

"Two Sudanese working for us were killed today about 12 pm (0900 GMT). We don't know who is responsible," Harabi told AFP.

A Sudanese government official confirmed the deaths and said that a Yemeni oil worker was also kidnapped in Unity State, which is part of semi-autonomous southern Sudan.

Harabi said he was in touch with staff from Yemen to clarify whether anyone was missing.