A South African man is being used as a bargaining tool by terrorist organisation, al-Qaeda. The 36-year-old SA national, who also has a British citizenship and whose name has not been revealed, was abducted in Mali last year by members of al-Qaeda. His freedom is now being offered, but only in exchange for Britain’s release of the militant Jordanian preacher, Abu Qatada.

Abu Qatada is currently being held by authorities in Britain, where he was arrested in February for his alleged involvement in “militant plots” in his home country. The Islamist group is demanding that he be deported back to one of the Arab Spring countries.

The conditions of the bid are the release of the South African man, as well as those of two of his friends who were also kidnapped in Timbuktu in Mali in 2011.

The family of the South African abductee, who have been trying to negotiate his safe return for months, were shocked to hear of al-Qaeda’s offer on Tuesday, but are being advised to maintain a low profile.

His worried father has simply said: “They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

[Source: The Star]