Disaster relief organisation Gift of the Givers says it has made contact with the captors of Stephen McGown from Johannesburg‚ who was taken hostage by al-Qaeda in Timbuktu‚ Mali‚ four years ago. McGown‚ who holds South African and British citizenship‚ was on a “dream” motorbike trip when he was kidnapped‚ along with several other Westerners‚ by armed men from their hotel. He is being held with a Swede‚ Johan Gustafson.Gift of the Givers has now made contact with their captors‚ after months of their negotiators trying to find the group holding them‚ the organisation’s Imtiaz Sooliman said in a statement.Sooliman said they had received a message that both of the captives “are healthy and in good condition and are waiting for us”.In June‚ a video was uploaded onto YouTube showing both men in apparent good health. Wearing traditional robes and bearded‚ McGown pleaded with the South African government and his family to help secure his release.Gift of the Givers‚ at the request of both families‚ began trying to make contact with the captors after this.“This was the beginning of a lengthy and arduous process to try and find the captors‚” Sooliman said. “This was a test of patience for us and a time of great difficulty for both families who were clutching at anything in the hope that something positive happens.”“Finally‚ on Friday‚ 20 November 2015‚ we got a one minute call around 10am to say we will get a call that evening with ‘good news’. That call only came at 4am on Saturday‚ 21 November‚ to say that the captors have sent a video ‘specially for us‚ that it was not given to anyone else and that it will be put directly in our hand”.Saying “both families are overwhelmed with joy” at the contact and promised proof of their wellbeing‚ Sooliman added the message meant that the captors have accepted Gift of the Givers as negotiators and that they are ready for ‘dialogue’.Gift of the Givers was hoping to obtain the video by Friday‚ 27 November.The organisation previously helped negotiate the release of South African‚ Yolande Korkie‚ from Al Qaeda in Yemen‚ on 10 January 2014‚ ransom free. Her husband‚ Pierre Korkie‚ died in a failed rescue attempt by the American military...