12 European hostages ‘freed in Cameroon’

Rome, April 4 (IANS/AKI) A group of 12 European tourists released by rebels in southwest Cameroon late on Monday, said diplomatic sources on Wednesday.

The hostages included five Italians, a diplomatic source told AKI.

The other seven hostages freed by their kidnappers in the Nguti area of Cameroon are Swiss, regional daily 'Voice of the People' cited the country's authorities as saying.

The Europeans were taken hostage for several hours on Monday, South Africa's eNCA television channel said on its website, quoting a statement from Cameroon's Communications Ministry.

The tourists were seized in the Moungo-Ndor area while they were heading for a tourist site called the Twin Lakes, according to the ministry statement.

The kidnappers reportedly belong to a movement seeking independence for English-speaking areas of Cameroon.

The country's Anglophones account for about a fifth of the predominantly French-speaking population.

(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)