"The authorities in Western Darfur were able to release the Italian hostage today," said a brief dispatch, which did not identify the hostage and gave no further details.
An Italian humanitarian worker, Francesco Azzara, 34, was abducted in mid-August as he drove to the airport in Nyala, capital of South Darfur state, with two colleagues, the charity Emergency said at the time.
Azzara was in charge of logistics at the paediatric centre opened in Nyala by Emergency in July 2010.
The charity has been operating in Sudan since 2004. It has two child-care centres, in Nyala and the Mayo refugee camp near Khartoum, and a heart clinic at Soba, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the Sudanese capital.
At least 300,000 people have been killed since the Darfur conflict first erupted in 2003 between non-Arab rebels and the Arab-dominated Khartoum regime, according to the United Nations, and 1.9 million are living in camps for the internally displaced.
The government puts the death toll at 10,000 and blames the continuing lack of security on tribal conflict, minority armed forces and banditry.
Six people including Sudan`s President Omar al-Bashir are sought or are before the Hague-based International Criminal Court for crimes committed in the Darfur region.
There has been a wave of kidnappings for ransom since Bashir`s March 2009 indictment for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Around 30 foreigners have been kidnapped in the area since Bashir`s initial indictment. Most were released unharmed a few days later.
But three Bulgarian helicopter pilots snatched in Darfur while working under a UN contract were freed in June after 145 days in captivity. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
