The family of the South African paramedic, Gerco van Deventer, who was held by AlQueda, has thanked the Algerian government for the role it played in securing his release.
Deventer, 48, was held hostage by the jihadists for over six years after he was abducted in Libya in 2017, until he was released on December 17.
The emergency paramedic was first sold off to the splinter group Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) Al-Qaeda group in Mali in 2018.
In the family’s first comment since Deventer was set free, it said they “wanted to express our sincere gratitude to the Algerian government in securing Gerco‘s release”, in a statement.
“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,” they said.
Though no information was provided concerning Algeria’s role, the family praised non-governmental organisations and the State Security Agency of South Africa, who had also served as middlemen.
Deventer, one of the longest-held hostages in Africa, received medical care in an Algiers hospital for a while after he was released.
According to relatives, he has since returned to his family in South Africa.
“The immediate family has spent the last few days reconnecting. Gerco has been receiving the necessary medical support and is in good health and spirits,” the statement said.
According to the family, a press conference is scheduled for the upcoming weeks, but they are asking for the “necessary space and privacy to allow us to heal.”
Deventer was working with a security firm when he was taken hostage along with three Turkish engineers, all of whom were later released in 2018.