An organization tied to al-Qaeda has released a South African paramedic, Gerco van Deventer, who was held hostage in Libya for over six years.
Gift of the Givers, a charity involved in securing his freedom, facilitated his unconditional release.
Van Deventer, held since 2017 and moved through Mali to Algeria, was finally freed on the Mali-Algeria border.
Gift of the Givers confirmed that Algeria’s security took him to a hospital after his release, awaiting arrangements to reunite him with his family in South Africa.
The paramedic was seized while en route to a power plant construction site in Libya.
Although three Turkish engineers abducted with him were freed later, Van Deventer remained captive, prompting ongoing efforts for his release, including negotiation attempts by the charity.
Initially, a ransom demand of $3 million was made by the al-Qaeda affiliate, which Gift of the Givers negotiated down to $500,000.
However, due to financial constraints, the family and his employer couldn’t afford it, leading to his unconditional release by the militants.
The region where Van Deventer was held has been a hotspot for extremist groups like Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), operating across the Sahel region and within Mali and Burkina Faso.
France had previously deployed troops to combat these groups but withdrew following a coup and increased opposition to their military involvement.
Currently, Mali’s military junta has enlisted Russia’s Wagner group to confront the militants.
Source-BBC
