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BOGOTA - A reporter freed after 33 days at the mercy of Colombianrebels headed home to Paris Thursday with a letter from his captorsfor French President Francois Hollande. Romeo Langlois was kidnapped at the end of April by theRevolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) during an attack onan army unit he was embedded with to film a counter-drug operation. The 35-year-old, who works for broadcaster France 24, was releasedWednesday in the remote jungle village of San Isidro to a team fromthe International Committee of the Red Cross that also included aFrench envoy and a longtime Colombian peace activist. In the letter, the rebels appeal to "friendly countries, inparticular European ones" to "help achieve a negotiated way out" ofthe Colombian conflict, Langlois said at a news conference hostedby the French Embassy in Bogota before departing for Paris. While stressing he could not divulge all its contents, he went onto say the letter also contained "public apologies." "It's the first time they're apologizing," Langlois said of therebels. "I have the impression the FARC want peace but not justany." Founded in 1964, the FARC is the oldest and largest leftistguerrilla group in the country with some 9,200 fighters. The last French national held by the FARC was Ingrid Betancourt, aformer Colombian senator and presidential candidate. She wasabducted during her presidential campaign in February 2002, alongwith her assistant, Clara Rojas. Betancourt and 14 other hostages - including three US militarycontractors - were freed in an operation by the Colombian militaryin July 2008. The FARC renounced the practice of kidnappings for ransom inFebruary but has stepped up attacks on Colombian security forcesover the past year in remote parts of the country. Recalling his time in captivity, Langlois, who received asuperficial bullet wound in the arm, said he "thought a lot about"Betancourt's ordeal. "How could I not have thought about Ingrid's drama in difficultmoments?" Langlois told AFP. "Of course I thought about it, verymuch so." Langlois, who has reported from Colombia for a decade, alsorecounted the horrors of his capture on April 28. "Seeing them arrive was terrifying," Langlois said of hiskidnappers, adding that he shouted "don't shoot!" and tried toalert them that he was an unarmed civilian. "I told myself: as longas they don't kill me on the spot." While he was being held, Langlois - who on Wednesday said therebels treated him like a guest - said he was never chained up incaptivity and had tried to stay rational. "I knew they were going to release me but I thought they would doit quickly in two, three days." Langlois was due to be reunited with his parents in Paris onFriday. I am an expert from irinteractivewhiteboard.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Smart Document Camera , Smart Interactive Whiteboard, IR Interactive Whiteboard,and more.
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