Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Italian priests, Canadian nun freed in Cameroon 2 months after abduction, officials say

[byline]

ROME – Italy’s Foreign Ministry and the Vatican say two Italian priests and a Canadian nun have been freed two months after they were abducted in northern Cameroon by armed groups.

The Vatican said Pope Francis was quickly informed Sunday that the Roman Catholic missionaries were free.

Gianantonio Allegri, Giampaolo Marta and Gilberte Bussiere were kidnapped in early April.

The Italian Foreign Ministry thanked Canadian and Cameroon authorities but gave no details of how the abduction ended.

Bussiere, 74, originally from Asbestos, Que., taught in Quebec for two decades before leaving for Cameroon in 1979 and had been there ever since working as an educator.

The priests were assigned from the Vicenza diocese in northern Italy.

with files from The Canadian Press

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.