My name is Issoufou. I'm 42. I left in late 2009. I was a welder and worked in the workshop of a Libyan in Missrata. Everywhere in life there are good and bad people, but in the relationship with the Libyans there are a lot of racism.
One day, I wanted to take a taxi. I did not notice I was waiting in front of a home. The man accused me coming out of preparing a coup. While his family went out and beat me. They took my papers and all the money I had on me. Then I ended up in jail for one month (28 days), where I was beaten with broom handles. I was heard five times by the judge, who sentenced me to six months. A few days later they called me and my sentence was reduced to a month, including the days already served. So I still had two days to go before going out. Prison life, I have not had a problem. Every morning and evening, they fed us. When I left, I returned to work for my boss.
I spent two months in Libya during the bombing. Once we got lucky. Around noon we went to the mosque and when we returned we saw that a bomb had fallen on our house. It was after this that I was determined to leave. For me the attacks are from the rebels. We had to take refuge in a cave to protect us.

Once the rebels returned to the neighborhood. They forced the door and returned to our room. They asked us to lie on the floor. They looked everywhere and asked if we were loyal to Qaddafi or the rebels. We replied that we were for the rebels. One asked me for whom I worked. I gave the name of my boss and I was lucky that one knew the name of my boss. This has saved us.

What worried me a lot is that our Arab neighbors began to accuse us of being mercenaries, to be beholden to Gaddafi. We were afraid. We passed several checkpoints to go to another neighborhood. I was with my two other brothers. Trying to go in another neighborhood, one of the checkpoints they arrested me and put the question of why I left my neighborhood. Then they took a car and they took me back to my neighborhood. When we arrived in my neighborhood, I showed them the people who accused me.

As they saw that I spoke a little Arabic, I was recruited. My work for the rebels was to hold the checkpoints and rebels to search the vehicles. When a vehicle was allowed to pass I lifted the barrier. I did this for 10 days. I have not carried a weapon. I did not see any abuses by the rebels or the army of Gaddafi, only the injured or dead because of fighting.

After the rebels helped me out. It was then that I noticed that all Africans were gone, I found myself alone. When I wanted to leave they asked me where I wanted to leave. The rebels have shown me the way to go in the district of Zerout was the only area where people were still moving. 3 days after, I heard that there were boats leaving to Egypt. There, I found 600 Nigerian waiting to be evacuated. The evacuation order prioritized Malians, Chadians and Sudanese. As Nigeriens were not concerned, my little brother had the idea to join the Malians. I copied him and that's how we were evacuated.

Arriving in Egypt, we went to the consulate. As we were only nine Nigeriens, we were evacuated to Cairo. Then I passed by Algeria and on to Niamey by bus.
Although I want to go back, I have six children (five boys and one girl). I am currently working in the shop of my little brother to sell grain. I hope the war ends so I can leave. Until then, nothing will and solidarity has its limits.

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