YAOUNDE, Jan. 23-- A French woman who was kidnapped in Central African Republic (CAR) on Monday by militant group anti- balaka was released on Friday.

The French woman, who was doing humanitarian work in CAR, was kidnapped by anti-balaka militants, who asked to exchange her with their leader who was arrested by UN peacekeeping troops earlier.

The French woman was released after she had a hunger strike. But the leader of anti-balaka is not released yet.

"Though the French woman was released, but the situation in Bangui is still tense," said a source in CAR's capital Bangui, who requested anonymity, to Xinhua by phone.

Besides the French hostage, anti-balaka this week also kidnapped another humanitarian worker from CAR and a UN staff working in Bangui, but the two were already released.

A civil war in CAR broke out on Dec. 10, 2012 between Seleka rebel coalition and government forces. Seleka took power from the then president Francois Bozize in March 2013 and the rebel's leader Michel Djotodia declared himself as president.

Elected provisional president by a National Transitional Council in April 2013, Djotodia was forced to quit power in January 2014 amid worsening violence between Christian anti-balaka group and Muslim Seleka. Catherine Samba-Panza was elected as provisional president by the National Transitional Council and is in power since then.