BBC Thursday, 26 April, 2001, 23:03 GMT 00:03 UK

Hijackers release women and children

Sudanese security forces have surrounded the airport The hijackers of an Ethiopian military plane forced to fly to the Sudanese capital Khartoum have released 11 women and children.

Sudanese Information Minister Ghazi Salah al-Deen told the BBC that negotiations were continuing to try to secure the release of the remaining 39 passengers on board.

The hijackers are demanding to meet US and British diplomats, and have asked for asylum, he said.

One crew member, who escaped from the back of the plane, said they were armed with guns and grenades.

Mr Salah al-Deen said the freed hostages were in good condition, although one woman had fainted after being taken off the plane and a girl had been taken to hospital suffering from dehydration.

No other women or children were on the flight, which was understood to be carrying relatives of Ethiopian soldiers.

Identity unknown

Sudanese officials had face-to-face talks with one of the hijackers who later returned to the plane.

Mr Salah al-Deen said the hijacker demanded that Sudanese security officials stayed clear of the plane.

He said he was a student and "did not seem politically motivated".

Sudanese television earlier reported that there were nine hijackers on board, all students, but other reports from Ethiopia suggested they could be military cadets.

The Antonov military plane took off from Bahr Dar on an internal flight and landed in Khartoum at 1820 local time (1620 GMT).

The incident came as the Ethiopian authorities began releasing most of the thousands of students they detained last week during violent demonstrations demanding greater freedom of speech.

More than 40 people were killed during the clashes.

In recent years, several Sudanese passenger planes have been seized by Sudanese hijackers, most of whom were seeking political asylum.

-- Anonymous, April 26, 2001