After the release of Olivier Dubois, what hope for the South African hostage who accompanied him?

2023-03-25T04:16:55.828Z

In South Africa, his case is rarely discussed, but the release of the French journalist gives hope to his family.After the release of Olivier Dubois, what hope for the South African hostage who accompanied him? South African nurse Gert Jacobus van Deventer has been in the hands of Jnim in Mali since 2017. © Facebook Capture Text by: RFI Follow 2 min In South Africa, his case is rarely discussed, but the release of the French journalist gives hope to his family. Advertising Read more With our correspondent in

After the release of Olivier Dubois, what hope for the South African hostage who accompanied him?

South African nurse Gert Jacobus van Deventer has been in the hands of Jnim in Mali since 2017. © Facebook Capture

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

In South Africa, his case is rarely discussed, but the release of the French journalist gives hope to his family.

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With our correspondent in Johannesburg, Romain Chanson

After regaining his freedom, the French journalist did not fail to evoke the fate of his former co-detainee, Gert Jacobus van Deventer, known as Gerco. The nurse was taken prisoner in Libya in November 2017 and sold to the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (Jnim). Olivier Dubois and Gerco spent a year and a half together in the desert of northern Mali.

March was a busy month for Shereen van Deventer. First, the release of a video of her husband Gerco dated March 15, 2023, in which he calls for help. Then the release, five days later, of Olivier Dubois and the American Jeffery Woodke, on March 20. Shereen hadn't been made aware of the negotiations, but she's happy for them.

« Every release brings hope. We could have liked him to be released with them but hey I think it's an opportunity to restart communications and release him. If the video is to be believed, he looks fit and not abused. It's good to know he's healthy and still believes in it. »

Shereen is assisted by the South African NGO Gift of the Givers, which oversees part of the negotiations. One of his consultants, Mohamed Dicko, sees these releases as good news, but also a missed opportunity for Gerco: "Normally, he should have put the South African in the same package. Negotiating a group is even better than individually.

After six years in detention, Gerco's family must also fight against oblivion. It is more difficult to draw attention to an individual when the country is in crisis.

► Read also: Olivier Dubois: "I continued to do my job as a journalist from the inside"

After the release of Olivier Dubois, what hope for the South African hostage who accompanied him?

After the release of Olivier Dubois, what hope for the South African hostage who accompanied him?

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