South Africa denies reports of 12 deminers kidnapped in Senegal

The South African government on Sunday denied media reports that 12 nationals working as deminers were kidnapped in Senegal. "That's not true. No South African has been kidnapped in Senegal," said Clayson Monyela, spokesman of the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation. According to media reports, 12 employees of a South African demining company Mechem were kidnapped in Senegal's restive Casamance region, where the separatist Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) has been fighting for independence since 1982. Workers of Mechem went missing Friday and local authorities have been working for their release, reports from Senegal said. Fred Weyers, the local director of Pretoria-based Mechem, was quoted by the Senegal News Agency as saying the 12 deminers went missing on Friday and were believed to have been taken by rebels belonging to the MFDC.