Imtiaz Sooliman – on militant attack of Mali hotel

Imtiaz Sooliman
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A news host and a representative from a search and rescue team are updating viewers on the search and rescue operation in Mali. They have found three South African recipients, but they are unsure if they are from the area or outside. The representative is waiting for more information and hopes to get more information from the United Nations later.

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			On this story, we are now joined
from Durban by gift of the givers.
		
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			Founder and chairperson, Doctor
Imtiaz Suleiman. Doctor Suleiman,
		
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			thank you so much for joining us.
Have you been in contact with your
		
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			rescued gift of the givers?
Member,
		
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			yes. You know, it was strange
yesterday, many media call us when
		
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			they heard when the story broke,
because, as you know, we're
		
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			actively involved in Mali. At the
moment, Buzzy on the Stephen
		
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			McGowan case, but we had no
information at that point. And
		
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			after last night, we never knew of
any South Africans being caught up
		
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			in that hotel. But this morning,
on our personal chat, we have a
		
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			chat group where search and rescue
members and MediCal members post
		
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			vital information, and the
information came through this
		
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			morning that one of our search and
rescue members was indeed in Mali
		
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			at the time, and later on, we got
confirmation from himself that he
		
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			was in the hotel. There was a
shootout whilst he was in the
		
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			hotel. He ducked in his room, then
went into the tub, because in case
		
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			Buddhist came to the wall and was
safer to duck in the tub and lie
		
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			there. This morning, he mentioned
that the United Nations people
		
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			came, and he and other people were
saved from the hotel. They were
		
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			not taken hostage. They were in
their rooms. They were taken they
		
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			were safely recovered from the
hotel and then taken to the United
		
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			Nations compound. But I must
stress, he was there in his
		
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			personal capacity, capacity, not
as a gift of the givers, on any
		
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			gift of the givers assignment at
that point. But so far, do you
		
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			have any other information on some
other South Africans that were
		
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			there?
		
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			Well, a little later, after well,
just a short while ago, in fact,
		
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			he confirmed that there's another
South African with him. He said
		
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			that there were three of them and
but we know we don't know if the
		
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			third person was a South African.
We know that him and the second
		
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			person were both South Africans.
They are both safe, and they are
		
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			alive. He said the third person is
missing. Who the third person is,
		
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			we don't know, and we don't know
whether you South African. I'm
		
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			just waiting for more information.
In the next 15 minutes,
		
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			apparently, they all now in the UN
compound, all of them sitting
		
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			together. They will be taken to a
hotel to get some of their goods,
		
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			you know, in the hotel because
they need some of their supplies.
		
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			And we're waiting to see if there
are any more South Africans,
		
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			besides the two mentioned and the
one that was missing. So within
		
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			the next 15 or 20 minutes, we
should have that information, but
		
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			we are just receiving some
information right now that
		
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			unfortunately, one South African
died in that attack. Do you have
		
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			any information in that regard? In
that section there,
		
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			they didn't confirm. As far as
they don't know of any South
		
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			African who has died at this
moment of time. He doesn't know
		
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			that that may be in enough
different group, but we've asked
		
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			that information. But he did say,
look, he said, Look, I can't
		
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			communicate now. I'm traumatized.
I'm not in the mood to speak right
		
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			now. That was earlier, and he said
also, they told him they probably
		
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			meaning the United Nations that's
not secure to talk on the phone
		
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			now, but in the last few minutes,
some information is coming
		
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			through. And as I said, within 15
minutes, we should know if they
		
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			are aware of a South African that
has passed on, and if they are
		
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			aware of any other South Africans
that are alive and with them at
		
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			this moment of time. And what kind
of assistance are you then giving
		
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			to to your worker who is in Mali,
and when can we expect him or them
		
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			back home?
		
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			Well, he went not on behalf of us,
as he went on a personal contract,
		
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			but we've offered him any
assistance that it requires being
		
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			a volunteer member of our team and
having done great service for us
		
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			in the Philippines, we offered him
assistance, but for now, we said
		
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			he is fine. Doesn't require any
assistance, but he knows that
		
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			assistance is available if he
needs it in any form whatsoever.
		
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			All right. Thank you so much. That
was gift of the givers. Founder
		
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			and chairperson, Dr imtia
Suleiman, speaking to us live from
		
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			Devon. I.