Tired and some 30 kilos lighter but otherwise none the worse for wear following his ordeal, Francis Collomp has arrived back in France.<br /><br />He was kidnapped in December 2012 by Ansaru guerillas in Nigeria, but reportedly managed to escape, although details have not been released and no press conference was held.<br /><br />However Collomp was greeted on his return to French soil by both prime and foreign ministers along with family members, with his arrival broadcast on news television.<br /><br />The French have not confirmed if any ransom was paid for his release.<br /><br />The Ansaru Islamist fighters are the local al-Qaeda affiliate, one of several now operating on the edges of the south Sahara and posing problems for several governments.<br /><br />French hostages are currently being held in Nigeria and in Mali, where the French have intervened militarily to prevent an Islamist insurgent/Northern rebel takeover.
