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French Cameroon hostages 'freed' | French Cameroon hostages 'freed' |
(35 minutes later) | |
Seven members of a French family abducted in Cameroon have been freed, Cameroon's communications minister has told the BBC. | Seven members of a French family abducted in Cameroon have been freed, Cameroon's communications minister has told the BBC. |
Issa Tchiroma Bakary said they were in good condition and unharmed. | |
The family, including four children, were abducted in February by gunmen on motorbikes after a visit to Waza National Park in northern Cameroon. | The family, including four children, were abducted in February by gunmen on motorbikes after a visit to Waza National Park in northern Cameroon. |
In a video published on YouTube, militants from the Nigerian group Boko Haram claimed to be holding them. | In a video published on YouTube, militants from the Nigerian group Boko Haram claimed to be holding them. |
The release of the hostages was also announced on national radio in Cameroon on Friday morning. | |
The statement from the presidency said they had been handed over to Cameroon authorities late on Thursday. | |
Both the French and Nigerian governments were thanked, but there has been no word from them about the release, the Associated Press news agency reports. | Both the French and Nigerian governments were thanked, but there has been no word from them about the release, the Associated Press news agency reports. |
The family, who live in the Cameroonian capital, Yaounde, where the father worked for the French gas group Suez, had been returning from a holiday when they were kidnapped on 19 February. | |
In the YouTube video released about a week after their capture, the militants demanded the release of prisoners in Cameroon and Nigeria. |