|
Last French hostage freed in Mali
The last French hostage to be held by Islamist militants has been freed after three years, French President Francois Hollande has announced. Lazarevic, he said, was in "relatively good health" despite the difficult conditions of his captivity and was on his way to Niger from where he would return to France. Hollande said, "There are no more French hostages in any country in the world." He thanked the authorities in Niger and Mali, who had "worked towards this happy outcome". There have been no details about how Lazarevic's release was secured. France's government has repeatedly denied paying ransom for hostages. Serge Lazarevic was seized in Mali in November 2011 along with fellow Frenchman Philippe Verdon. Militants from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) killed Verdon last year in retaliation for the French intervention in Mali. Posted by: ryuge 2014-12-10 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=405955 |