Kidnapped South African teacher Pierre Korkie has been spotted for the third time in the ongoing war between the Yemeni army and Al Qaeda in Yemen. On Tuesday, humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers said they received confirmation from tribal leaders on the ground that Korkie was seen alive, this time in the company of a British hostage.

Around the end of April, Korkie was spotted in the company of a Sierra Leone hostage being moved from Abyan Province, the Al Qaeda stronghold, to Albaydah Province. On 28 May, Korkie was spotted between Albaydah and Mareb province and on Monday he was seen between Mareb and Shabwa Province. The state of his health is not known.

Korkie was taken hostage on 27 May 2013. On the one year anniversary of his kidnapping, his wife Yolande, who was freed from captivity earlier this year, made an video appeal for the kidnappers to return him safely. The kidnappers are demanding a ransom of R32.5 million for the release of Korkie.

With the holy month of Ramadan approaching, she used the video to appeal to the kidnappers to honour the month of ‘mercy and forgiveness’, and to release her husband unconditionally. VOC