UN Staffers Kidnapped in Darfur

Two staffers supporting peacekeeping operations in Darfur were kidnapped from their homes this morning, the AP reports. The joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force has established contact with the abductors. “We are here to protect civilians," the head of the mission told them. "We are not part of the conflict.” A spokesman declined to identify the kidnappers, save as an "armed group." The development comes a week after a top UN official pronounced the Darfur war over.