Sudanese Minister of Energy and Mining al-Zubair Ahmed Hassan said on Sunday that his government would do its best to protect Chinese oil workers in the African country.

"We will take all the necessary measures to safeguard the Chinese oil workers in Sudan," the Sudanese minister told Xinhua.

Accompanied by Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Li Chengwen, the Sudanese minister visited the four Chinese oil workers saved by the Sudanese security forces after being kidnapped by local militants at a working site in southwest Sudan on Oct. 18.

Sudanese Minister of Energy and Mining Al-Zobeir Ahmed Hassan (1st L) presents flowers to a surviving Chinese worker as Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Li Chengwen (2nd L) stands aside at a hospital in Khartoum Nov. 2, 2008. [Xinhua Photo]

The four Chinese persons are receiving medical and psychological treatment at a hospital in Khartoum.

The Sudanese minister expressed sympathy and solicitude to them and hoped that they would soon be well again.

He also expressed his heartful condolences to the Chinese government and the Chinese people for the killing of other five oil workers by the kidnappers.

Noting that the Sudanese government would continue hunting the criminals, Hassan said the number of the kidnappers was very little and they did not represent the Sudanese people.

"The Sudanese people welcome the Chinese companies and persons to invest in Sudan and take part in the process of development here," he said, adding that the kidnapping and killing of the Chinese oil workers was an isolated incident which would not impact the relations between China and Sudan.

Nine Chinese workers of the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation were kidnapped by a group of militants on Oct. 18. Five of them have been confirmed dead while the four others have been saved alive.

(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2008)