Saturday, September 10, 2011


My name is Moussa. I am 36. The first time I went to Libya was in 2002, I returned in 2004 because my mother died. I left one more time and returned to Niger in 2007. I left Niger in 2008 and returned in 2011, because of the war. It's been four months that I got back. I was working in a Turkish company.
We were building a 980 room hotel in Tripoli. I was the storekeeper in the society, and as I spoke Turkish, I acted as translator. As they did not speak Arabic, I was doing the translation, so I had a relationship with them a bit special. The boss became my friend. Recently I called to find out how he was. I had a good relationship with them.
Libyan life, it went well. I regularly sent money to my family. Because of the war I lost everything. The Libyan people are a little stubborn, however it depends on each person. I've never been beaten. I stayed one month during the conflict. We did not get our wages for two months because during the war my boss left. I left before the rebels arrived in Tripoli.
Everywhere there were soldiers and bandits. They were looking for your mobile, and sim cards because they thought you could be a spy for the rebels or send pictures to the European journalists.
My boss gave me 5 laptops because I told him I'd like to open a cyber café. I wanted to put them in a container to send to Saba. When I went out, after only going 10 meters, two military vehicles arrived. Of course they saw the computers, and they asked me what I was doing. They started loading their guns; they were ready to shoot. One of them said, “no, no do not shoot him, he must first be brought to Headquarters”.  
They arrested me and blindfolded me. When they removed the blindfold, the chef came out. There were 12 Libyan soldiers. I gave my name and nationality. He asked me who gave me the computers and said, “You know those computers, we received the order to shoot all those with computers, because there are people who send pictures to Europe. So maybe you’re in cahoots with them.” Had I known that computers were going to create problems, so why would I take them?
I had my pass at the Embassy of Niger and I showed him my work card. So the military deposited me where they arrested me. They took everything, money and computers. They left me with nothing, I walked with difficulty. My cousin was in the apartment, we wanted to leave. It was difficult to sleep. The night we didn’t sleep, because there were young people with Kalashnikovs, firing into the air. We wanted to leave from Tripoli, but we had no money, so I had to call my little sister. It’s with this money we could leave to Saba. When we arrived a friend gave me some money, which allowed me to arrive.
On the way we were stopped by some Libyans (in three Chadian original Toyotas). They made everyone get off, and stole everything.
It took 26 days of road to come back to Niger. We were in a truck that usually takes 80 people and it was loaded with 350 people. Along the way seven people died due to travel conditions. We buried seven people.
We waited for the government of Niger, but nothing. Here we saw the former governor, we thought we had money from the government, but nothing. This almost five months, it is not worth the trouble. Some went to Cotonou, others drive motorcycle taxis. Even if I wanted to go back, I do not know if my family would let me go.


See more pictures of the returnees

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