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Chadian rebels free U.S. missionary
(Xinhua) -- Chad's rebel group MDJT has freed a U.S. evangelical missionary after holding him hostage for more than nine months in the northern part of the central African country. In a statement posted on its website Friday, the Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) based in Illinois announced the release of its missionary Cash Stephen Godbold following extensive negotiations between his captors and TEAM. Godbold was released by his captors in Chad Thursday evening near the town of Bardai in northern Chad and is presently a guest of local officials in Bardai, TEAM said. An aircraft will be sent to Bardai to evacuate Godbold to N'Djamena and from there he will travel to the United States via Europe for reunion with family and colleagues, debriefings and medical checks, it said. Godbold, 49, was captured on Oct. 10, 2007 in Zoumri in the Tibesti region of Northern Chad, where he was assisting a Chadian non-governmental organization transporting water well drilling equipment into the Tibesti in order to provide clean and safe water to residents of the region. The Movement for Democracy and Justice in T'Chad (MDJT) claimed responsibility for Godbold's captivity. TEAM emphasized that Godbold's release was unconditional and that no ransom was paid and no concessions of any type were made to secure his release. Posted by: Fred 2008-07-27 |
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