SA photojournalist Shiraaz Mohamed is alive – NGO

A string of denials has followed a little-known organisation called Truth Collective SA’s (TCSA) claim it had found kidnapped photojournalist Shiraaz Mohamed and negotiated his release in exchange for four Syrian rebels belonging to a group formerly part of al-Qaeda.

Mohamed went to Syria with Gift of the Givers on January 10, to document the war-torn country and was captured by unknown persons.

Department of International Relations and Co-operation spokesperson Nelson Kgwete refused to comment and referred The Citizen back to TCSA.

“We have been involved with the matter since we found out but they seem to know everything about this matter. You must ask them,” Kgwete said.

“This demand was made through the various NGOs involved in bringing Mohamed home, and South Africa has played no part in negotiating for his release. Also, deputy minister [Nomaindia] Mfeketo is not involved,” a brusque Kgwete said.

The Syrian ambassador to South Africa has also refused to comment.

Director of TCSA Bakar al-Maharmeh said yesterday his organisation had done many community projects in Syria over a number of years, and noted South Africa and Syria had a “great” relationship.

“Minister Mfeketo has worked very closely with this to try and get Shiraaz back home safely. In a few weeks Shiraaz will be home safely and his story can be told,” he said.

However, because the rebels were fighting, al-Maharmeh said they had to wait for a lull in the fighting. Syrian intelligence had informed him the swap would happen even if there was a lull of a couple of hours.

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TCSA is not registered with the department of Social Development.

Al-Maharmeh said when he heard about Mohamed’s capture in the north of Syria, he went there to meet with its government, intelligence services, and the local Red Cross.

“There wasn’t very much to know about why he had been captured. There are about a hundred different groups in the area,” al-Maharmeh said, adding the priority was to establish which area Mohamed was being held in.

After a few days, he learnt Mohamed was being held by rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra – which has changed its name to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (Conquest of Syria Front) – in the town of Edlib in the north west of Syria.

Proof of life in the form of video and a photograph was apparently supplied.

Al-Maharmeh said he was not allowed to distribute the proof of life picture, and it hadn’t been given to the South African government as it had been left in Syria.

“He is fine, he is perfectly fine,” insisted al-Maharmeh, who has not been in touch with Mohamed’s family.

When negotiations started, he believed the rebels wanted money. However, they want the release of four of their group being held by the Syrian government.

“They sent the names of the rebels with the mediator and, according to the Syrian government, those guys were responsible for very high crime in Syria. They planted bombs and blew up buses and civilians, so there is a very high risk in releasing them,” al-Maharmeh said.

“Obviously the Syrians appreciated our ambassador still in Damascus practicing for the last eight years, and the Syrian ambassador in South Africa. There is quite an amazing relationship with South Africa and the Syrian government,” added al-Maharmeh. He was surprised Syria accepted the deal, which he said would go through under the watch of the Syrian Red Cross.

Al-Maharmeh said he asked to start the process immediately.

“However, we had a lot of false, or let me say wrong, information from GOTG [Gift of the Givers] and that delayed the process.”

Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman refuted the claim, saying he didn’t know what al-Maharmeh was referring to.

Sooliman also denied there were any negotiations taking place as no group had claimed responsibility for Mohamed’s capture.

Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, the group al-Marmeh claims is holding Mohamed, is the same group who offered its help to Gift of the Givers to trace Mohamed.

“What I know is his equipment was returned to Gift of the Givers.  How can you hold a man and then give back his equipment? Something doesn’t make sense,” said al-Maharmeh.

Mohamed’s family refused to comment.