GENEVA: A Swiss wom­an, reportedly working for an aid organisation, has been abducted in the conflict-torn Darfur region of Sudan, Switzerland’s foreign ministry said on Sunday.

The Swiss foreign ministry said in an email it was “aware of the case of a Swiss woman kidnapped in Sudan (Darfur).” “Our local representatives are in contact with the local authorities,” it said, adding that the case was being investigated.

The foreign ministry did not provide any details on the identity of the abducted woman or the circumstances surrounding her kidnapping.

The Sudanese government has not confirmed or officially commented on the incident. But social media reports indicated she had been working for a Swiss non-governmental organisation providing aid to children, and that she was abducted in the North Darfur capital of El-Fashir.

It came despite repeated claims by Sudanese officials that the region was safe as the long-running conflict there had ended.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2017