Around 25 mothers, with their children, were doing laundry in a stream at the foot of a mountain in Bolowa village in Masisi territory when the incident occurred.
This is the first known mass abduction of students after a lull and since a cash swap policy that was in part introduced by the government to end ransom payments to kidnappers.
The rebels were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for acts of terrorism, undermining national security and endangering the life of the head of state but later pardoned by the government.
Huge crowds blocked main roads and marched in Sudan's several cities, facing heavy tear gas fired by the security forces and many were seen breaking their Ramadan fasts in the street.
Announcement comes amid reported clashes between national and regional forces brought about by refusal among Amhara Special Forces' units to surrender weapons as part of integration process.
Some 970,000 children under five in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger will face severe wasting this year, warns UN children's agency while urging governments to put child nutrition "high on national priority agendas."
