Kidnapped French aid worker freed in C. African Republic

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) - A French aid worker kidnapped in Central African Republic has been released, France's foreign minister said Friday.

Laurent Fabius did not give details about the release, but thanked Central African Republic authorities and especially the archbishop of the country's capital for their help.

Claudia Priest, 67, was working for Catholic medical organization CODIS, and was kidnapped along with a local co-worker when the fighters seized their vehicle full of medicine and medical kits, according to their driver.

Central African Republic's President Catherine Samba-Panza earlier Friday said that authorities were negotiating a release of the two.

It wasn't immediately clear if the Central African colleague had been released too.

The spate of rare kidnappings by Christian fighters comes after the arrest of their commander, Rodrigue Ngaibona.

Central African Republic was hit by sectarian violence about a year ago when the Christian militia was formed to combat a Muslim rebel coalition that had taken control of the country. Yet even amid violence that has left more than 5,000 people dead, attacks have rarely been directed at foreigners, except for those with the French military and the other African armies taking part in the U.N. peacekeeping mission.

Fabius, in a statement, called the release "an immense relief for all those who worked toward this happy outcome."