UPDATE 1-Irish team in Sudan to help free kidnapped aid staff

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KHARTOUM, July 5 (Reuters) - Irish diplomats and negotiators flew in to Khartoum on Sunday to help in efforts to free two female aid workers kidnapped in Sudan's Darfur region.

The two women from Irish aid group GOAL, one Ugandan and one Irish, were abducted from their compound in the north Darfur town of Kutum late on Friday -- the third time foreign humanitarian workers have been seized in Darfur in four months.

The Irish delegation, including ambassador to Egypt Gerard Corr and officials from the Foreign Affairs Department, arrived in Khartoum airport early on Sunday.

"This is a very high level delegation that is here to negotiate and do everything that is possible to free the hostages," said Ireland's honorary consul in Khartoum, Ronnie Shaoul, as he waited at the airport.

"They will be meeting the Ugandan ambassador and officials from all the appropriate ministries. We have had a lot of support from officials here." He said the team included trained negotiators.

Sudan's foreign ministry said a joint Irish-Ugandan team would travel to El Fasher, capital of north Darfur, on Monday, to help with negotiations.

GOAL has named the kidnapped women as Hilda Kawuki, 42, from Uganda, and Sharon Commins, 32, from Dublin.

The aid group's representative in Sudan, Flora Hillis, told Reuters on Sunday she had heard nothing from the kidnappers or her staff.