B757-200 FLT CREW HAS A TCAS ALERT WHILE ENTERING HOLDING AT TNCA.

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TNCA IS NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT. CURACAO CTL HANDS OFF TO TNCA TWR. THE TWR ASKS FOR POS AND SEQUENCES THE PLANES INTO THE HOLDING PATTERN AT DIFFERENT ALTS. WE WERE 1 HR LATE DUE TO A MECHANICAL PROB (NO APU). WE ARRIVED WITHIN MINS OF THE ORD-AUA FLT XXX. WE HEARD THEM RPTING THEIR POS AND TWR DIRECTING THEM TO HOLD. THERE WAS ALSO A YYY FLT AHEAD OF XXX AND ANOTHER CESSNA IN THE PATTERN. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO TWR AT 15 MI N OF THE FIELD AT 8000 FT. TWR DIRECTED US TO PROCEED TO THE VOR AND HOLD. WE WERE ALSO CLRED TO DSND TO 5000 FT. CAPT WAS FLYING ON 'C' AUTOPLT; FLAPS 5 DEGS AND AROUND 220 KTS. AS WE PROCEEDED TO CROSS THE VOR AT ABOUT 6600 FT; WE NOTICED ON TCAS THE XXX INBOUND (OPPOSITE DIRECTION AS WE WERE) AT 5000 FT. TWR WAS BUSY TALKING TO OTHER TFC. I POINTED OUT THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT TO THE CAPT AND HE SLOWED HIS DSCNT. AT ABOUT 5500 FT WE STARTED TO GET A TA AND CAPT STARTED TO CLB. AT THAT TIME THE TWR ASKED XXX WHAT THEIR ALT WAS AND ASKED THEM TO DSND TO 2500 FT. HE TOLD US TO DSND TO 5000 FT. IT IS OUR OPINION THAT TWR CONFUSED THE FLTS AND DID NOT INTEND TO DSND US TO 5000 FT INITIALLY. AFTER EXITING THE HOLD AND GIVEN CLRNC FOR A VISUAL; TWR ASKED NUMEROUS TIMES FOR POS AND ALTS. IT SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE UNAWARE OF ANYONE'S POS. I HAVE FLOWN HERE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND IT IS CHALLENGING AND ALWAYS UP TO THE PLTS TO ENSURE SAFE SEPARATION!