The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has released eight people that were kidnapped two weeks ago and handed them over to a branch of the International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC) in Choco state, the Colombian Army announced Thursday.

The people were released "under the pressure made by the army in the sector of Puerto Palacio," General Juan Rodriguez, commander of the 7th division of the army, said.

However, Victor Mosquera, civil defense director for the Choco state in western Colombia, said FARC released these people "voluntarily".

The eight Afro-Colombians were kidnapped last week while traveling on the country's northwestern jungle rivers.

An ICRC spokesperson said the release came after discreet dialogue between the parties concerned and the ICRC will continue to work as a neutral mediator.

This was the first such hostage handover since FARC, Colombia's largest anti-government group, was tricked in a hostage-rescue operation by the army on July 2 during which disguised Colombian soldiers arrived at a FARC camp and told the guards that FARC's top leader wanted to see the hostages.

The masqueraded army then took them all aboard a helicopter and revealed their true identity. The freed included politician Ingrid Betancourt, who has French-Colombian citizenship, and three US citizens.

(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2008)