France's President Hollande has announced during a visit to Slovakia on Tuesday that four French hostages kidnapped in Niger in 2010 have been released.

According to source, he said: "I have some good news. I just learned from Niger's president that our four hostages in the Sahel, the Arlit hostages, have been released."

 "I want to express all my gratitude to the president of Niger who obtained the release of our compatriots," the president said.

The French defence minister said the four men who were seized on 16 September 2010 in raids targeting two French firms operating a uranium mine near Arlit, were freed without a military assault or a ransom being paid.

CEOAFRICA gathered that the men had boarded a French government plane on Wednesday from Niger's capital Niamey. They are expected to be greeted by Mr Hollande in Paris.

 The four men were identified as Thierry Dol, Daniel Larribe, Pierre Legrand and Marc Feret, who were all employees at the uranium mine run by the French nuclear company Areva.

Reports said that the al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) group said it was responsible.