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Kidnapped Jordanians With UN Mission Freed in Darfur


Jordanian and Sudanese officials say two Jordanians abducted Saturday in Sudan's Darfur region have been released.

Sudanese officials said Tuesday the two men, who are with the U.N.-African Union mission in Darfur, were freed after negotiations involving the government and tribal leaders.

Jordan's Information Minister Ali Al-Ayed said the men First Lieutenants Nabil Kilani and Ahmad Qaisi are in good condition at the Jordanian mission in Darfur.

Ayed said the two are among only four security personnel Jordan has working for the joint U.N.-African Union mission, known as UNAMID.

It remains unclear who kidnapped the men. UNAMID said the two were grabbed Saturday in the South Darfur state capital, Nyala, as they were walking to a UNAMID transport dispatch point about 100 meters from their residence.

They were approached by three individuals in a four-wheel-drive vehicle and seized at gunpoint.

The kidnapping was the latest in a series of attacks on UNAMID forces in recent weeks. Last month, an ambush wounded seven peacekeepers, and another ambush in June killed three and wounded a fourth.

Peacekeepers and foreign aid workers have faced increased hostility in Darfur since March 2009, when the International Criminal Court indicted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes in the region.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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