Christopher Jator Njechu & Elvis Tah
20 November 2008
Seven French hostages of the 10 that were released recently by Bakassi rebels have returned to France, The Post has learned.
The freed hostages left Yaounde for Paris, France, by 2 am Wednesday, November 12, through a special plane sent by their employer organisation, Bourbon.
Meanwhile, President Paul Biya Tuesday, November 11, at the Unity Palace received the ten hostages that were captured at the Bakassi peninsula by a Niger Delta insurgent group known as Bakassi Freedom Fighters.
The captives, seven French nationals, two Cameroonians and a Tunisian were employed by a French shipping group known as Bourbon. They were seized on board their ship by gunmen in speedboats off the coast of the Bakassi region on October 31.
The insurgent group, it is alleged, were opposed to the peaceful handover of the oil-rich Bakassi region to Cameroon following the ICJ ruling and the Green Tree Accord.This led to a series of attacks that culminated with the kidnapping of ten people, including some foreigners last October 31.
The rebels had asked for a ransom and even threatened to kill the hostages if Cameroon authorities did not re-open talks on the region's status.The Post gathered that it took close to a week of negotiations between Cameroon Government and the Freedom Fighters to secure the release of the captives.
The negotiations were fostered by President Paul Biya, and a French delegation in Cameroon.The stalemate was finally broken when Yaounde authorities reportedly agreed to release some 13 pirates from the Niger Delta, earlier captured by Cameroonian soldiers when the group launched one of its insurgent attacks on the Peninsular, two months ago.
The leader of the insurgent group, Ebai Dari, is quoted to have said he accepted to free the Bourbon hostages on condition that his militias that were earlier captured by Cameroonian soldiers were set free or in exchange for the hostages, a declaration that contrasts a report by Yaounde authorities. The authorities denied taking part in any negotiations with what they termed 'an unofficial group.'
Reports say Ebai Dari, has vowed to further attack the region, should dialogue fail to seek a lasting solution between his rebel group and the Cameroon authorities.Meanwhile, the hilarious welcome that was accorded the freed hostages continued, Wednesday November 12, when they were being send-off to their various destinations at the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport.
The French nationals returned to Paris to be reunited with their families and friends.It should be noted that the late evening reception was attended by the French Ambassador to Cameroon, George Serre, among other Cameroonian dignitaries.
An official who attended the reception ceremony, said, President Biya was however visibly elated for the return of all the ten hostages, hail and hearty, given that the situation was already brewing diplomatic tensions between the countries whose citizens were involved in the kidnapping.
On the side lanes, The Post learnt that Biya held talks with the Paris delegation in which security reinforce at the Bakassi peninsula was at the centre of their discussion.Meantime, the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has express gratitude to the Cameroon government for its intervention.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Post. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
