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Darfur Rebels Attack Sudanese Oil Field, Tell Foreign Companies to Leave


A Darfur rebel group has promised to launch more attacks on foreign oil installations after kidnapping two oil workers.

The rebel group, Justice and Equality Movement gave foreign oil companies a week to pull out of Darfur or face further attacks.

The rebels kidnapped two oil workers Tuesday - an Iraqi and a suspected Canadian, during an attack on the Chinese-run Defra oil field in Sudan's Kordofan region

Canada said it was checking reports that one of its citizens had been kidnapped, but had no confirmation yet.

The rebels say oil companies in Darfur are enabling Sudan's government to purchase weapons used to kill people in the region.

Sudanese officials described the rebel attack as insignificant.

Peace talks between the Sudanese government and Darfur's factionalized rebel groups are scheduled to begin Saturday in Libya.

Several rebel groups have said they will not take part in the talks, and those who plan to attend have not agreed on a common platform.

On Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council urged all parties to attend the talks and said the first priority should be negotiating a cease-fire.

More than four years of fighting in Darfur among rebels, militias and the government has killed an estimated 200,000 people and displaced more than two million others from their homes.

The Sudanese government relies heavily on oil revenues to finance the war.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

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