Darfur tribe members 'freed' after kidnap

KHARTOUM (AFP) - Twenty-four people have been freed, four days after being abducted by a rival tribe in Sudan's Darfur region following deadly clashes between the two groups, official media said Wednesday.

The Maaliya tribe members kidnapped by the Rezeigat, another Arab group, have been released "in response to efforts of mediation and the government," the state SUNA news agency said with elaborating.

Dozens died in fighting between the Maaliya and Rezeigat in East Darfur on August 10 and 11.

Zekria Suliman, a local Maaliya leader, told AFP on Sunday that five Maaliya families, 24 people in all, were captured Saturday night just outside the East Darfur state capital Ed Daein as they tried to flee the area.

He did not accuse the Rezeigat, but blamed "Janjaweed" and said his group would boycott a ceasefire process until the Maaliya were freed.

Non-Arabs in Darfur rose up 10 years ago against what they saw as the domination of Sudan's power and wealth by Arab elites.

In response, government-backed Janjaweed militias shocked the world with atrocities against them.

Although the rebellion continues, analysts have warned since at least 2010 that relations were souring between the government and the Arab tribes it armed to fight the insurgency.

Observers say Sudan's crisis-hit regime generally has less money for the militias, who are acting out of government control.