Come Home Safe

According to the latest reports from the Sudanese Government Minister, negotiations with the kidnappers of two aid workers in Darfur, Irish woman Sharon Commins and her Ugandan colleague Hilda Kawuki, are progressing well.

Both work for the charity Goal and were abducted from the agency's compound in Darfur nine days ago. State minister for humanitarian affairs Abdel Baqi al-Jailani also said officials have established regular contact with the abducted women.

"I think we may have good news soon ... People are negotiating with them now,' he said. 'They are being very brave and dealing with the situation they are in.'

On Friday, the Sudanese Ambassador to Ireland met with the family of Ms Commins in Dublin and brought a letter from Sudanese President Omar al Bashir. Meanwhile, Irish negotiators and government officials are still in Sudan trying to help.

A bitter conflict over the past six years between the government and rebels in Darfur has left hundreds of thousands of people dead.