Gerco van Deventer, a South African paramedic kidnapped by militant Islamists linked to al-Qaeda over six years ago in Libya, has been released.
His release was facilitated by the South African disaster response NGO Gift of the Givers, which described his incident as the longest hostage situation for a South African.
Van Deventer, 48, was initially captured by an unidentified group in Libya in 2017 and was later sold to militant Islamists in Mali.
He was recently released near the Mali-Algeria border, according to a Malian security source and a humanitarian agency.
Following his release, Algerian security agencies took him to a hospital for a check-up.
Gift of the Givers posted on Facebook, sharing relief and anticipation for Van Deventer’s return home to reunite with his family.
He had been working as an emergency paramedic for a security company when he was abducted on his way to a construction site in Libya.
Three Turkish engineers who were taken alongside Van Deventer were released seven months after their abduction, but Van Deventer remained captive. Earlier this year, his family renewed pleas for his release.
Gift of the Givers had been part of ongoing efforts to secure Van Deventer’s release, negotiating a ransom initially set at $3 million (R60 million) down to $500,000 (R10 million).
However, the amount was still beyond his family and employer’s reach. Ultimately, he was released “unconditionally”.
Pictured above: Gerco van Deventer.
Image source: X
