Cape Town – South African hostage Gerco van Deventer may be closer to his release as a negotiator has received confirmation from his captors that a final decision on his unconditional release is being considered.
The negotiator, Mohamed Yehia Dicko, is currently in Mali, where Van Deventer has been held hostage since November 2017.
Gift of the Givers, the organisation involved in the negotiations, has been engaging with intermediaries connected to Al-Qaeda in Mali to request dialogue and advocate for Van Deventer’s release without the payment of a ransom, Times Live reported on Tuesday.
“Yehia has travelled the length and breadth of rural areas in the north of Mali, having met our chief intermediary, who in turn connected Yehia to several other intermediaries requesting them to dialogue on our behalf with JNIM (Al-Qaeda in Mali).
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“Yehia is in the desert of Mali, going from village to village to engage tribal leaders and elders to garner support to influence the captors positively,” the report quoted Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman as saying.
According to News24, Gift of the Givers said that the captors confirmed receiving letters, pictures, videos, and a personal appeal from Van Deventer’s family.
“Under normal circumstances and from past experience, if the offer is rejected a reply would be given within 72 hours. Two months have passed since Ramadan, and the feedback we have received on various occasions is that they are looking into what’s possible,” the report quoted Sooliman as saying.
Mali state security has offered their cooperation and requested an official letter from the South African Department of State Security to assist in the matter.
Gift of the Givers said it has appealed to the captors, emphasising compassion and his release in honour of the days of Hajj (pilgrimage).
The 47-year-old was kidnapped in Libya on 3 November 2017 on his way to a power plant construction site about 1 000km south of the capital Tripoli.
Three other Turkish engineers seized at the same time were freed seven months later, but Van Deventer remained in captivity and was moved to Mali.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
