His hostage ordeal over, Catholic priest Georges Vandenbeusch is heading home from Cameroon’s capital to France after over a month in captivity.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.”<br /><br />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.<br /><br />France maintains it has not paid any ransom for his release but the circumstances behind it remain unclear.
