Two French aid workers freed in Afghanistan

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PARIS (Reuters) - Two French aid workers who were abducted in Afghanistan on July 18 have been released and are in good health, French authorities said on Saturday.

The two men, who worked for French NGO Action Contre laFaim (Action Against Hunger), were kidnapped in the town ofNili in central Afghanistan after gunmen tied up guards andbroke into the guest house where they were sleeping, their NGOhad said.

"The president rejoices and expresses his relief after theannouncement of the release of our two compatriots..." said astatement from the office of President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The presidency and the foreign ministry both thanked Afghanauthorities and President Hamid Karzai for their role insecuring the release of the hostages.

The Afghan government had said the two were being held bySedaqat, a former armed faction commander. Sedaqat told aWestern radio station he had kidnapped them because ofdifferences with authorities in central Dai Kundi province, whohe said had sidelined him from power.

Action Contre la Faim suspended its operations inAfghanistan after the abduction. It set up its first missionthere in 1979 and has conducted a series of operations since1995.

A French businessman was abducted in Afghanistan in May andreleased in June after weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations.

(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon, editing by Tim Pearce)