a smugglers’ haven in the sahara

8/20/2019 A Smugglers’ Haven in the Sahara

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A smugglers’ haven in the Sahara

The route to Europe for many African

migrants passes through the underworld ofAgadez, NigerStory by Kevin Sieff Photos by Javier ManzanoPublished on July 20, 2015

AGAD !, "i#er

$he s%u##ler &al'ed (ast the dia(er aisle, throu#h the ba)' door of the )onvenien)e storeand into the %etal shed &here the %i#rants &ere hidin#*

+t &as Monday in one of the &orld s hu%an-s%u##lin# )a(itals, the day &hen tru)'s)ra%%ed &ith Afri)ans roar off in a &ee'ly )onvoy bound for .ibya, the threshold to uro(e*/or Musa, an e (ert in snea'in# (eo(le a)ross the Sahara, it &as ti%e to #et ready*

Above: Mi#rants ta'e their (ositions on the ba)' of a $oyota (i)'u( tru)' loaded &ith &ater, (rovisions and fuel* ooden sta'es &ere lod#ed in bet&een &ater u#s, ba)'(a)'s and fueltan's in order to (rovide the (assen#ers &ith so%ethin# to hold on to*

3

E !"#S $ "esperate migrants, a bro%en system

$his is (art of an o))asional series e a%inin# the )auses and i%(a)t of a #lobal &ave of%i#ration driven by &ar, o((ression and (overty*

4e &al'ed around the &hite $oyota (i)'u( (ar'ed ne t to the shed, loaded &ith u#s of&ater* $hen he #lan)ed at the )luster of 0 (eo(le &aitin# to )li%b ato( the load*

6ne of the% &as an 11-year-old #irl fro% 7ur'ina /aso, su)'in# a lolli(o(* Another &as a%other &ho held her &ailin# 8-%onth-old baby* "e t to the%, 29 %en, fro% five )ountries,shifted their eyes nervously bet&een Musa and the tru)'* +f they &eren t )au#ht or strandedor 'illed, it &ould ta'e the% three days to #et fro% the stash house to .ibya*

: e need to leave soon,; Musa said, e a%inin# the tru)', its &indo&s tinted, its li)ense (late%issin#, (rayer beads han#in# fro% the rearvie& %irror*

Sin)e the 15th )entury, A#adez has been one of the )ontinent s %ost i%(ortant tradin# hubs,the #ate&ay bet&een est and "orth Afri)a* "o&, it is a )ity run by hu%an s%u##lers*

A)ross the develo(in# &orld, %i#rants and refu#ees are leavin# ho%e in histori) nu%bers*+n)reasin#ly, they are turnin# to s%u##lers, &ho load the% onto fli%sy shi(s or over)ro&ded

http://www.washingtonpost.com/people/kevin-sieffhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/people/kevin-sieff


2/17

tru)'s for trea)herous ourneys that 'ill thousands ea)h year* Authorities in uro(e and Asiahave vo&ed to )ra)' do&n on the %ultibillion-dollar industry* 7ut the business of hu%an)ar#o is thrivin#*

Musa,


3/17

=a%el traders, %er)hants and livesto)' sellers #ather at the lo)al %ar'et in A#adez* $he )ity,)o%(rised %ainly of one-story %ud stru)tures, is situated on the southern outs'irts of theSahara desert and has been an i%(ortant trade )enter for )enturies*

Konissa had ste((ed off the bus in A#adez the (revious ni#ht, ust after 11 o )lo)'* 4e had been travelin# for three days fro% the +vory =oast and his le#s felt stiff and heavy* hen he&al'ed throu#h the (ar'in# lot, %en started a((roa)hin# hi%, his s%all bla)' ba)'(a)'#ivin# hi% a&ay as a %i#rant*


4/17

: ou #oin# to .ibyaB; they as'ed in /ren)h and 4ausa*

: ou need so%e hel(B;

A s%u##ler fro% A#adez to Sabha, .ibya )osts bet&een ()*' and (&''+

ashin#ton Post re(ortin#

7ut Konissa, 25, already had a )onta)t in A#adez* 4is un)le had traveled to .ibya last year*

:$his %an )an hel( you,; the un)le &rote in a te t in May, (astin# in Musa s nu%ber*

A fe& %inutes after #ettin# off the bus, Konissa dialed the nu%ber* $he (ar'in# lot &as fullof youn# %en slee(in# on the #round* 6n the &all &as #raffiti in several lan#ua#es*

:Ali fro% =a%eroon &as here,; one line read*

:A Guinean &as here,; said another*

Konissa held the (hone to his ear* 4e had s(ent t&o years savin# for the tri( to uro(e, e'in#out a livin# as a tailor* +f he %ade it to /ran)e or +taly, the %oney he sent ba)' &ould )han#ethe lives of his (arents and siblin#s and their )hildren*

:Je suis arrivC,; he said to Musa* :+ % here*;


5/17

Konissa, se)ond fro% the ri#ht, &ith several other %i#rants before the 92-hour tri( to .ibyathrou#h the Sahara*

/ifteen %inutes later, Konissa &as driven to the lar#e shed &here Musa and his brothers 'e(tthe %i#rants* $he #round &as stre&n &ith )ardboard bo es and old tires* /ive &ild antelo(e,)a(tured fro% the desert, s'ittered around the ad a)ent dirt yard*


6/17

6ther %i#rants &ere slee(in# ne t to a roarin# yello& #enerator* $he s)ene felt stran#e ands)ary* Konissa had never been this far fro% ho%e* 4e lay do&n on the #round and used his

ba# as a (illo&* 4e had brou#ht a &inter a)'et, assu%in# it &ould be )old in the desert, butno&, even after %idni#ht, it &as nearly 100 de#rees*

4e didn t feel any )loser to uro(e, the (la)e he had seen in the /a)eboo' (hotos of hisfriends &ho had already %i#rated* $hey &ere al&ays standin# on (ristine streets, or insideni)e buildin#s*

:$hey al&ays have the best )lothes,; he said*

7efore #oin# to slee(, Konissa )alled his father in a villa#e in the +vory =oast*

:+ found the (la)e,; he said*


7/17

Mi#rants re#ularly slee( on the streets as they ourney north throu#h Afri)a* ith (oli)e and%ilitary )he)'(oints throu#hout ea)h )ountry, they (refer to travel &ith little %oney to

(revent these se)urity for)es fro% ta'in# it a&ay fro% the%* Most s%u##lers are (aid inadvan)e throu#h estern nion, a (o(ular %oney transfer syste%*

estern offi)ials (ortray s%u##lers as hardened )ri%inals &ho have driven the sur#e in%i#rants to uro(ean shores 3 &here over 100,000 have arrived this year* $he s%u##lers are:21st-)entury slave traders,; as +taly s forei#n %inister, Paolo Gentiloni, (ut it* And indeed,


8/17

there are alar%in# a))ounts of brutality by s%u##lers, in)ludin# a re)ent A%nesty+nternational re(ort detailin# ho& %i#rants )rossin# .ibya fa)ed ra(e, torture and abdu)tions*

7ut in A#adez, s%u##lers see the%selves as business%en, (rovidin# a servi)e that "i#er sdesert tribes have %astered*

Musa s father shuttled #oods for years bet&een A#adez and .ibya, &here *S* and *"*san)tions %ade le#al trade diffi)ult* 7y the ti%e Musa &as 20, he &as )rossin# the Sahara,too* 4e learned to navi#ate by ruts in the sand durin# the day and by the stars at ni#ht* +n2011, .ibyan leader Moa%%ar Gaddafi &as overthro&n, and suddenly no one &as sto((in#

boats fro% leavin# the )ountry s (orts for +taly, ust 200 %iles a&ay* $hron#s of %i#rants be#an to arrive in A#adez* Musa &as ready to (rofit*

4e and his brothers bou#ht a fleet of $oyota (i)'u(s stolen fro% .ibya* $hey built the shed inthe store s ba)' yard and laid do&n old %ats and )ar(ets &here the %i#rants )ould slee(*$hey started ta'in# bet&een 25 and 100 %i#rants a)ross the Sahara every &ee', )har#in#about E 00 ea)h*

:My (hone nu%ber be)a%e fa%ous a)ross est Afri)a,; he said*

+n about three years, Musa &as a %illionaire* 4e bou#ht ho%es in "i#er and .ibya* 4e bou#ht )ars and )a%els and s%art(hones, his selfies refle)tin# his s&a##er, a %an lyin# ne tto a (istol in the desert* 4e %arried one &o%an in "i#er and another in .ibya* 4e tried tohide his enter(rise fro% his four )hildren, tellin# the% that he &as a trader* +t &as a rare#li%%er of sha%e*

=ountries around the &orld have vo&ed to fi#ht the s%u##lers* $he uro(ean nion re)entlyannoun)ed a %a or o(eration to detain s%u##lin# shi(s )o%in# fro% .ibya* 7ut brea'in# u(the net&or's is a )olossal tas'*

:$here s so %u)h %oney at sta'e that this has be)o%e al%ost i%(ossible to sto(,; saidMoha%%ed Ana)'o, the (resident of the A#adez re#ional #overn%ent )oun)il and the to(offi)ial in the )ity*

.ast %onth, a dele#ation fro% the uro(ean nion traveled to A#adez see'in# to stren#then "i#er s la&-enfor)e%ent a#en)ies* Poli)e and soldiers, ho&ever, are dee(ly involved in thetrade* Many of the% earn e (onentially %ore in bribes fro% s%u##lers and %i#rants than

they do fro% their salaries, a))ordin# to a 201 re(ort fro% the "i#er #overn%ent s anti-)orru(tion a#en)y, 4A.=+A*


9/17

Passen#ers (ray durin# a sandstor% at the side of the road before they arrive in A#adez*

Perha(s the %ost #larin# si#n of the )o%(li)ity )o%es ea)h Monday, &hen the s%u##lers andtheir %i#rant )ar#oes leave A#adez in a loose )onvoy led by a %ilitary es)ort*

:$he di(lo%ats )o%e and tal' about sto((in# %i#ration, but it s ust tal',; Ana)'o said* :$hes%u##lin# net&or's are stron# and the %i#rants are des(erate*;


10/17

$he "i#er #overn%ent has %ade s(oradi) atte%(ts to shut do&n the s%u##lers* After the bodies of F2 %i#rants &ere found in the desert outside A#adez in 201 , offi)ers raided anu%ber of the )ity s stash houses, arrestin# their o&ners* Musa &as )au#ht s%u##lin#%i#rants and s(ent one %onth in ail* 4e resu%ed his business nearly i%%ediately after bein#released, shiftin# his route to %ore re%ote stret)hes of desert*


11/17


12/17

arlier this year, "i#er s #overn%ent (assed a la& that &ould allo& ud#es to senten)es%u##lers to (rison for u( to 0 years, but e (erts say it hasn t yet been enfor)ed*

"i#er (oli)e ta'e bet&een ()*' and ( *' per truc% in order to (er%it the ille#al )rossin#into .ibya*

ashin#ton Post re(ortin#

:+f you (ay the (oli)e, it s no (roble% #ettin# to .ibya, even a tru)' full of %i#rants &ithout (a(ers,; said Mali'i A%adou 4a%adane, the head of the A#adez offi)e for the +nternational6r#anization for Mi#ration, or +6M*

hile the i%a#es of boats )a(sized in the Mediterranean have )o%e to sy%bolize the dan#ersof ille#al %i#ration to uro(e, the tri( throu#h the Sahara is no less ris'y* .ast %onth, the

bodies of < %i#rants &ere found in t&o lo)ations a fe& hundred %iles outside A#adez,a))ordin# to the +6M*

Musa shru#s off the ris's of the ourneys*

:+f God &rites that you &ill die in the desert, then that is ho& you &ill die,; he said*

4e re#ularly stu%bles u(on the re%ains of those &ho didn t %a'e it, so%eti%es ta'in# ashovel fro% his tru)' to di# #raves*

: e bury the bodies be)ause that s &hat our reli#ion tells us,; Musa said* : e do not sayanythin# to the authorities*;

6n this Monday afternoon, &hen the %i#rants stayin# &ith Musa &ent to (ur)hase &ater)ontainers for the three-day ourney, %ost returned &ith one E2 #allon u#* +t &as all they)ould afford* $hey too' turns fillin# the% fro% a s(i#ot*

Konissa )arried a u# and a s%all loaf of bread* 4e had ra)ed throu#h the %ar'et to buy the%*

:+ a% s)ared to be )au#ht,; he said*


13/17

Mi#rants fill u( their &ater )ontainers before they be#in their tri( to .ibya* a)h %i#rant)arries t&o #allons of &ater for the three-day ourney*

Musa didn t as' >uestions &hen the %i#rants arrived* hen the 11-year-old #irl fro%7ur'ina /aso na%ed Saly sho&ed u(, &earin# a lon# s'irt &ith red birds on it, he loo'ed ather but said nothin#*

4e 'ne&, li'e other s%u##lers in A#adez, that not everyone he trans(orted &as )hoosin# to%a'e the ourney* 7ut he sa& hi%self as a %an (rovidin# a servi)e* $o a visitor, he


14/17


15/17

: here is the little #irlB; as'ed Musa s brother Abdul Kari%, standin# ne t to the tru)' onMonday ni#ht*

Saly &as sittin# on a ba)'(a)' on the #round* $hree %en lifted her onto the bed of the (i)'u(, seven feet above the #round*

$hen, one by one, the %en )li%bed aboard* Musa and his brothers had stu)' tree li%bs bet&een the ba#s and su((lies so that the %en sittin# on the ed#e of the vehi)le )ould holdon, their le#s han#in# ust above the #round* +t &as the only &ay they )ould fit so %any

(eo(le*

:Do &e need %oney to (ay the (oli)eB; one %i#rant as'ed*

: hatever + #ive you, they &ill ta'e,; said a short, thin %an na%ed Moha%%ed, &ho &or'sfor Musa* : e &ill (ay for everyone to#ether*;


16/17

11-year-old Saly, left, fro% 7ur'ina /aso, &as travelin# &ith fa%ily %e%bers &ho &eretryin# to rea)h $ri(oli*

: ill there be bandits on the &ayB; as'ed another*

: ou &ill be fine,; said Moha%%ed*


17/17

a smugglers’ haven in the sahara

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