South African paramedic released after years in Sahel hostage situation
South African paramedic Gerco van Deventer, who had been held captive in the Sahel region since November 2017, has been freed. The announcement came from the NGO Gift of the Givers on Sunday (Dec. 17).
Van Deventer, abducted in Libya and later sold to Al-Qaeda in Mali in 2018, endured the longest captivity as a South African hostage. Gift of the Givers revealed in a detailed statement that they became involved at the family’s request in 2018, negotiating the initial $3 million USD ransom down to $500,000 USD over time.
Facing financial constraints, the family was unable to meet the ransom demands, and negotiations stalled until January 2023. Gift of the Givers, appealing for unconditional and ransom-free release during Ramadan, cited letters from religious leaders to support their plea.
The organization leveraged geopolitical events, such as the Morocco Earthquake and their intervention in Gaza, to indirectly communicate with the captors. This strategic approach eventually led to a breakthrough. Gift of the Givers received a call on December 5 from someone in Mauritania indicating efforts towards the release. On December 26, a trusted intermediary confirmed Gerco’s release in Algeria.
Remarkably, Gift of the Givers emphasized that no ransom was paid for the release of the forty-seven-year-old paramedic.
About The Author
