A 90-year-old archbishop who had been abducted in western Cameroon on Thursday evening was released on Friday along with his driver, AFP reports.

10 others who were also abducted alongside the two have not, however, been released.

Christian Tumi, an Archbishop Emeritus and retired cardinal, has frequently sought to mediate in the crisis that has gripped the western region.

The release of Tumi comes just days after 11 teachers that had been kidnapped in a raid by gunmen in northern Cameroon were also freed.

Less than two weeks before that, another deadly attack at a school in the same region left seven children dead.

According to the AFP, more than 3,000 people have been killed and more than 700,000 have fled their homes since October 2017 as the country was dogged by conflict.