Missing Chinese worker in Sudan unlikely to survive

Chances for the Chinese worker, who went missing in a rebel attack in Sudan's South Kordofan, are very small, an official of the Chinese embassy said on Thursday.

"When the attack took place, 18 Chinese workers hid in a farm of mango trees. The embassy informed the Sudanese government of their hiding place and requested rescue operations," the official told Xinhua.

"On Jan. 29, a patrol of the Sudanese came to rescue the workers in the farm," said the official, adding that when the workers started to leave the area, rebels opened fire on them and one worker was injured and went missing.

He further said that the Sudanese army has managed, through four operations, to rescue the rest 17 workers, who were later transferred to the capital Khartoum.

"The Sudanese army is continuing its search for the missing Chinese worker, but after five days since his injury, the possibility of finding him alive seems very small," he said.

Meanwhile, another 29 Chinese workers were seized by the rebel group in the attack and have been held captive.

On Jan. 28, the Sudan People's Liberation Army's (SPLA) northern sector assaulted a road construction site of a Chinese company in the flashpoint state of South Kordofan.

The embassy official said that the Chinese side has been urging the Sudanese government to work for the release of the Chinese workers in a manner that ensures their safety.

"The Chinese side has also asked the rebels to ensure the safety of the Chinese workers and release them as soon as possible, " he added.

According to media reports, the rebels affirmed that the Chinese workers are in good health.

South Kordofan, located on the Sudan-South Sudan border, has been witnessing armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the SPLA's northern sector since June last year.

Khartoum accuses South Sudan of supporting the rebels on the borderline between the two countries, particularly in Blue Nile and South Kordofan States.