Bedfordview man’s intervention in Al-Qaeda hostage drama acknowledged

A local resident was recently acknowledged by the City of Ekurhuleni for his role in rescuing a South African man held hostage by the Al Qaeda Mali branch.

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Mohammed Yehia Dicko, a Bedfordview resident, was part of the negotiating team that helped rescue Stephen McGowan.

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McGowan was abducted by Al-Qaeda militants in 2011 along with other hostages from other countries.

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Gift of the Givers spent over five years negotiating his release.

Dicko, who is originally from Mali, came to South Africa in 2003.

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He said he became involved in the mission after hearing on radio that Gift of the Givers was looking for a Malian living in South Africa to assist in the negotiations.

He contacted Gift of the Givers and started the negotiation process in 2014.

He said it was difficult to find the right people to assist in ensuring McGowan’s release from captivity.

Dicko’s journey took him to Gao and Kidal in Mali’s northern parts as well as Niamey and Niger. He travelled thousands of kilometres by road, searching for a connection.

“We only received a first video showing proof of life six months after starting the process. When proof of life was provided, a hard bargaining process began for McGowan’s safe release.

“The South African government, Swedish government and Mali government wanted everyone on board so we could work together and see what we could achieve. The Al-Qaeda group was asking for a lot of money to release the hostage and no one had that kind of money,” said Dicko.

After intense negotiations and many years in captivity, McGowan was released by the militants in August 2017.

In September 2017, Dicko was also recognised by parliament for his role in the rescue mission.

At the time, Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, said the National Assembly agreed to a motion noting the role he played in his capacity as the Gift of the Givers’ main negotiator in rescuing McGowan.

“It is an honour for me to be recognised and I am grateful and humbled. It was very difficult to be in that situation but you trust God to give you the strength and the guidance you need in order to achieve what you want to achieve,” he said.

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