UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- A UN spokesperson confirmed on Monday the kidnapping of two staff members of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), which has been deployed in the Sudanese region since 2007.

    The two international civilian UNAMID staff members -- one man and one woman -- were abducted at gunpoint over the weekend by four or five armed men from their residence in Zalingei, West Darfur, Marie Okabe told reporters.

    "The incident is reported to have occurred early Saturday morning and the two staff members were taken to an unknown destination," Marie said. "UNAMID has informed the relevant Sudanese authorities, which have assured the mission that they are taking all the necessary steps to address the situation."

    The top UN envoy in Darfur, Rodolphe Adada, has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the two staff members, urging their abductors to return them unharmed, she added.

    The Sudanese government has condemned the kidnapping of the two worker as "a criminal and regrettable act."