Tough search for missing SA journalist

THE search for Shiraaz Mohamed, the South African photojournalist kidnapped in Syria earlier this month, has been frustrated by fighting between different groups in the war-torn country.

Mohamed, who accompanied Gift of the Givers, was kidnapped near the Turkish border while documenting Syria’s humanitarian crisis three weeks ago.

Following Mohamed’s capture, Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman said he was taken after a misunderstanding.

A former al-Qaeda affiliate has since said it would help look for him.

Yesterday, Sooliman said it had been a tough week in the search for Mohamed.

“It has been tough in trying to trace Shiraaz in Syria, not because of a lack of cooperation, but because of fighting between different groups resulting in road closures [and] multiple checkpoints,” he said.

“This has made accessing decision makers difficult as most have switched off their phones for security reasons.”

Until Saturday, they were still getting the message that Mohamed was alive.

Sooliman said the people who had pledged to help find Mohamed had asked for a few days’ grace to make further queries once the fighting stopped.

“We were given some encouraging news in that all the groups met on Saturday and declared a ceasefire,” he said.

“If this holds, freedom of movement will be much easier.”

Sooliman said it had been concluded that Mohamed was taken by mistake but that his captors were now afraid to release him without being identified.

“We have responded to this by preparing a special poster on Shiraaz with a message directed to the captors.”

Sooliman said the posters in Arabic said: “Dear people of Syria. This is Shiraaz Mohamed during his minor pilgrimage [Umra]. He has been taken by some people. We are very sure it’s a case of mistaken identity as Shiraaz came as a photographer to help the people of Syria. We request that whoever has taken him please release him somewhere safe.”