Negotiations underway to free Shiraaz Mohamed
According to Bakar al Maharmeh from the Truth Collective South Africa - a Cape Town based NGO - he went to Syria for 12 days in January in an effort to facilitate Shiraaz Mohamed's release.
He told Jacaranda FM News that he made contact with a mediator between the rebel groups and the Syrian government and it was established that Mohamed was alive and being held by Jabhat al-Nusra in Idlib.
Al Maharmeh said that with the assistance of the South African and Syrian governments as well as our ambassador there they are busy facilitating his release.
Al Maharmeh says through this mediator they established that Jabhat al-Nusra was offering to trade Mohamed for the release of four of their members held by the Syrian government.
Despite the crimes committed by these four men, the Syrian government has agreed to the negotiations in order to maintain the good relationship between Syria and South Africa.
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He says they believe Mohamed will be released within a few weeks.
Bakar explains how they went about working with the mediator and how they found out that Jabhat al-Nusra want to trade Mohamed for four of their members.
Bakar explains how they know Shiraaz is alive - he can't go into too much detail because they don't want to rock the boat during final negotiations - but he assures us he is alive.
Bakar explains the South African government's involvement in this and how they have assisted in trying to facilitate Shiraaz's release.
Bakar explains the process to follow from here - he says due to the infighting between the different rebel groups there has been some delay in securing Shiraaz's release, but if there is any window they will bring him home - he is sure it will be before the end of the month.