French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with released French hostage Pierre Camatte on Thursday in the Malian capital Bamako, amid tensions between neighboring African countries over the swap with local terrorists. Sarkozy, who arrived from Libreville, Gabon, expressed thanks to his Malien counterpart Amadou Toumani Toure for efforts to free the French aid worker from the hands of the Maghreb wing of Al- Qaeda (AQMI). Four AQMI members were sentenced and then released by Malian authorities under the pressure of both the terror group and Paris in the swap, the Mali-based l'Independent newspaper said on Friday. The Malian government announced on Tuesday that AQMI had released Camatte who was kidnapped in November. But the swap came as a blow to Mali's relations with Mauritania and Algeria. The three countries share borders and have cooperation in fighting AQMI in the Sahel-Sahara region. Mauritania and Algeria have recalled their ambassadors from Mali in protest against the deal. Sarkozy is on an African trip which also includes Rwanda. During Sarkozy's visit to Gabon on Wednesday, France signed a new defense pact in replacement of the old one with its former colony. He is scheduled to arrived in Rwanda on Thursday to mend ties which were severed three years ago. Rwanda reopened its embassy in Paris on Monday. 