The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) confirms that a Russian pilot, previously unaccounted for following an incident earlier this week, was this evening safely returned to UNAMID's base in Nyala, South Darfur.

At 17:15hrs today a UNAMID helicopter carrying Sudanese and Mission Security Officers took off from Nyala. The team landed in Oum Sader, approximately 55 km north of Nyala and 50 kilometers east of Kass, for the pick-up of the missing crew member.

The aircraft touched-down in Nyala at 20:15hrs with the Russian pilot who is to be debriefed following a medical check-up.

The pilot was reported missing after his aircraft landed in an undesignated area on 26 July and was met by unidentified hostile elements. The assailants robbed and beat up several of the passengers and crew. While the group safely returned to Nyala on 27 July, the pilot had been unaccounted for.

UNAMID will report further on this incident once more details become available.