Taleban frees French worker

Published on 12/05/2007 01:55

THE Taleban released a French aid worker yesterday in a gesture to Nicolas Sarkozy, the president-elect of the country who said last month that he envisaged no long-term French military presence in Afghanistan.

The rebel movement had previously offered to free Eric Damfreville and three Afghani colleagues in exchange for the release of Taleban prisoners held by the Afghan government or the withdrawal of some of the 1,100-strong French force in Afghanistan.