Cape Town - Gift of the Givers (GOTG) hostage negotiator Mohamed Yehia Dicko said that he did not once lose hope in knowing that South African paramedic Gerco van Deventer, held captive by al-Qaeda for six years, would return home to his family.
Van Deventer was kidnapped in Awbari, Libya, on November 3, 2017, on his way to the Awbari Powerplant where he was to be stationed as a site paramedic. He was sold to Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), the Sahelian branch of al-Qaeda in Mali in 2018. GOTG got involved in 2018 at the request of the family.
Gerco’s wife Shereen van Deventer confirmed on Christmas Day that he had arrived safely in the country and that the immediate family had been spending the last few days reconnecting.
She added that he had been receiving the necessary medical support and was in good health and spirits.
“We, as a family, would first like to express our sincere gratitude to the Algerian government in securing Gerco’s release. We are also grateful for the role played by South Africa’s State Security Agency in facilitating Gerco’s release and safe return to South Africa. We acknowledge the efforts played by several NGOs and specifically the Gift of the Givers, for all their efforts in trying to secure Gerco’s release. We are also deeply thankful for the role played by the media and all South Africans for their prayers and support.”
In a statement, Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman thanked the intermediaries in Mali, Morocco, Mauritania and Niger, as well as the Algerian State Security and the South African State Security agencies.
He also thanked Dicko, who he described as the real hero and without whom the release would never have been possible as he left no stone unturned.
Dicko, who is of Malian descent, has worked with GOTG since 2014 when GOTG put out an appeal for a Malian to assist in the case of Stephen McGowan, who was also kidnapped by al-Qaeda and held captive in Mali for nearly six years.
In Gerco’s case, Dicko had travelled to Mali over six times, with trips lasting from two weeks to a month. The first trip to Mali took place in 2018.
Dicko said that they dealt solely with the intermediaries and did not get a chance to see or speak to Van Deventer or meet with any senior alQaeda members.
According to Dicko, South Africans are not targeted by al-Qaeda but because Van Deventer is white, he was most likely mistaken for someone from a Western country.
“It’s not their objective to target the South Africans. They are fighting with the Western people who are fighting with them; for them it’s another spiritual, religious fighting that they’re doing,” Dicko said.
On whether he had ever feared for Van Deventer’s life, he said: “The conditions in which they’re living are not easy for non-Sahelian people.
“In the desert, when you try to escape or to run, it can be very painful for yourself, there is no limit. You can even die of hunger or thirst. Some people try to do it at the end of the day. After running they can find them easily, even after 24 hours when you escape, they can find you in the desert.
“Where they keep them is in the Sahara, there is no boundary, no limit. You can find yourself in Mali, Algeria, Niger, Libya, or you find yourself in Mauritania. The Sahara is a prison, it’s an open area. Only sun and rock and some oases with small waters.”
On December 17, GOTG announced the unconditional release of Van Deventer by al-Qaeda, the longest-held South African in captivity.
“Alhamdulilah, we thank God. It’s happiness for us. We wish him the best and his family, especially his wife and kids. Like a Muslim, we don’t lose hope. I knew that one day he will come back in Sha Allah and he is going to be with his family. That is one of our key elements, me and Imtiaz (Sooliman), we never lose hope,” Dicko said.