Armed abductors release one hostage in Sudan’s North Darfur State

KHARTOUM, Nov 10 (AFP) — Armed abductors have freed one of four men snatched two days ago in North Darfur before driving off with the other three, one a local tribal chieftain, the state’s governor was reported as saying Monday.

The released driver was taken by his abductors from Kukul marketplace, north of the state capital Al-Fashir, to Umsidir, an area further north, the independent Al-Hayat daily quoted Osman Yousuf Kibir as saying.

The kidnappers dropped him off at Umsidir, before driving off to an unknown location, the newspaper reported.

The four men were abducted Saturday by gunmen, Al-Hayat reported earlier.

At the time, it quoted Kibir as accusing the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) of involvement in the incident, but contacts with the SLM made him optimistic that the four would be freed.

Khartoum and West Darfur rebels agreed Tuesday to extend a Chadian-brokered ceasefire agreed in September for another 10 days while they pursue negotiations in neighboring Chad.

The government and the SLM resumed talks at Abeche in eastern Chad on October 26 in an attempt to stem a conflict that is estimated to have cost 3, 000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom have streamed into Chad.