Kidnappers in Darfur today released two civilian employees of the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission. The Nigerian man and Zimbabwean woman had been held since August 2009.

This development comes after the UN Secretary-General phoned President Omar Al-Bashir this month.

The official Sudan News Agency said that the hostages were released a the UN-African Union (UNAMID) base in Zalingei town in the presence of the Commissioner of the locality, Yahia Ali Hussein, along with a number of security officials of North and West Darfur States.

Brig. Ahmed Al-Tayeb Abu-Guroun, Director of the Office of Security and Intelligence, said the release was made possible through coordination between the government and UNAMID.

Celebratory remarks came from UNAMID Spokesperson Noureddine Al-Mezni and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

Ban said that he is "deeply gratified to learn that two civilian staff members from the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), who were abducted at gunpoint from their accommodation in West Darfur, Sudan, on 29 August, are now free and in the care of UNAMID."

The pair will leave Darfur for their home countries.