"They were released today. We still don`t know the circumstances of their release ... They were held in captivity for 145 days," WFP spokeswoman Amor Almagro told AFP.
"I can assure you that the World Food Programme did not pay any ransom for them," she added.
The three aircrew were abducted by armed men on 13 January at a landing strip in Um-Shalaya, 60 kilometres (35 miles) southeast of El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state.
The hostages, working at the time for the UN Humanitarian Air Service which is managed by the WFP, appeared to be in good health, the agency said in a statement.
It was the second abduction of WFP aircrew in Darfur in three months, after three Latvians were seized by gunmen on 4 November 2010 in the South Darfur capital of Nyala. They were freed the following month.
WFP`s Regional Director Amer Daoudi on Monday praised the government in Khartoum for its efforts to secure the release of the Bulgarians, who he said were seized while "working to help the most vulnerable people in Darfur."
At least 300,000 people have been killed in the Darfur conflict since non-Arab rebels first rose up against the Arab-dominated regime in Khartoum in 2003, according to the UN. Khartoum says 10,000 people have died. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
