Two German aid workers abducted five weeks ago in Sudan's Darfur have been released, the German government confirmed on Tuesday.

Two German aid workers abducted five weeks ago in Sudan's Darfur have been released, the German government confirmed July 27, 2010.

"I am very pleased and relieved that the two kidnapped German workers from the Technisches Hilfswerks are free," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said.

The two, aged 34 and 52 respectively, are now in the care of Sudanese authorities and are being transferred to the country's capital, Khartoum, said the minister.

They have spoken with both the Red Cross and the German ambassador by phone and they are well, considering the tough circumstances, Westerwelle said.

Westerwelle also thanked all authorities involved in the rescue efforts, but did not provide any details about the release.

The two are the first kidnapped Germans in Darfur, the UN said last month. They worked for a German civilian government agency, Technisches Hilfswerks, which has operated generator and repair workshops in Nyala and Al-Fashir in the Darfur region.

They were abducted on June 22, when several gunmen attacked the agency's office in Nyala.