Two peacekeepers seized in Sudan, according to the BBC.

Two members of the joint UN/African Union (UnAMID) peacekeeping force have been kidnapped in Sudan’s western Darfur region, officials say.

A Unamid spokesman said the pair – a man and a woman – were abducted in the western town of Zalingei.

The victim’s nationalities have not been made public.

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Spokesman Noureddin Mezni said armed men attacked the Unamid staff residence in Zalingei at 0430 (0130 GMT) and abducted the pair, whom he described as civilians.

Mr Mezni said the abductions were the first of UNAMID members, although there have been a series of kidnappings of aid workers in the region.

He said contact had been made with the captors, but did not give any further details.

Abducting United Nations workers from an official U.N. residence would seem to be a fairly clear challenge to U.N. competence and authority in the region, unless we’re badly misinterpreting the situation.

In such matters, we’d prefer to be wrong.