French priest heads home after Cameroon kidnap ordeal
- 10 years ago
His hostage ordeal over, Catholic priest Georges Vandenbeusch is heading home from Cameroon’s capital to France after over a month in captivity.
His abduction by gunmen was one of several attacks on French targets in Africa since France’s military intervention in Mali in January to oust al Qaeda Islamists.
Describing his experience as a hostage, Vandenbeusch said there was “terrible boredom, sadness and anger because I am very attached to the parish in which I am a priest and, by the Grace of God, from time to time, there was a little peace. But I was sure that many people were thinking of me, working and praying for everything to turn out alright.”
Father Vandenbeusch was seized in northern Cameroon where he had chosen to remain, despite Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram being active there. It later said it was holding him.
France maintains it has not paid any ransom for his release but the circumstances behind it remain unclear.
His abduction by gunmen was one of several attacks on French targets in Africa since France’s military intervention in Mali in January to oust al Qaeda Islamists.
Describing his experience as a hostage, Vandenbeusch said there was “terrible boredom, sadness and anger because I am very attached to the parish in which I am a priest and, by the Grace of God, from time to time, there was a little peace. But I was sure that many people were thinking of me, working and praying for everything to turn out alright.”
Father Vandenbeusch was seized in northern Cameroon where he had chosen to remain, despite Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram being active there. It later said it was holding him.
France maintains it has not paid any ransom for his release but the circumstances behind it remain unclear.