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The Call of the Relatives of a South African Hostage of the Jihadists in Mali

While her husband has been detained for more than 5 years by jihadists in Mali, Shereen van Deventer launched a new appeal on Saturday for his release. She was speaking from the town of Swellendam, 220 km east of Cape Town.

Her husband,ย  Gerco van Deventer, 47, had been kidnapped in Libya on November 3, 2017, on his way to a construction site for a power plant about 1,000 km from the capital Tripoli, before being transferred to mali.ย 

“I am appealing again. We desperately need him at home, he is the father of three children,” his wife said. 

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Three Turkish engineers were also kidnapped before being released seven months later.

This nurse who worked for a security company is the only South African citizen held hostage by a non-state organization in the Sahel, according to his 39-year-old wife. 

The call from his family comes a few days after the release of journalist Olivier Dubois . after nearly two years of captivity in Mali. The outcome gave hope to those close to the South African hostage.

“The release of Olivier Dubois gives us new hope for the release of Gerco,” said his wife. “There is hope that a door is open.”

Olivier Dubois reported spending over a year in captivity with Gerco van Deventer.

“I think he must still be in the Kidal region. I can imagine the conditions he is in because we have lived through them together. And I would like to add that it is time for it to stop. He is in his sixth year. He doesn’t deserve this, he has to come home,” explained the French journalist.

Negotiations for his release Gerco van Deventer are still ongoing according to the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Imtiaz Sooliman, head of a Muslim charity, Gift of the Givers, also involved in mediating for his release, said a negotiator “will travel to Mali over the next few days to appeal to the kidnappers”.

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