Monday, 13 April 2020
Testimony by Galius Moumouni Efouad, presently at the IOM transit centre in Arlit, Niger

Interviewed by Tcherno Abarchi, Alarme Phone Sahara whistleblower in Arlit

 

"My name is Galius Moumouni Efouad. I was in Ghana and I wanted to go to Spain. And I passed through Algeria. I went to Morocco after Maghnia. After Maghnia I went to Rabat to go and take a ship to Spain. On the way, I saw police. They catched us and they brought us back to their capital, to Casablanca. After Casablanca, they brought us back to Maghnia, the border between Algeria and Morocco.

After that, they bring us to Algier prison. Four days. The police took our phones, our money, our clothes, even our shoes. They sent us back to prison of Adrar. For four days, they gave us water and bread. One every day, one eating daily. After that, they sent us to (???) prison for four days. They also give us one water and bread every day. And they sent us back to Tamarasset prison. Tamarasset for four days, and they bring some people to us and send us to Assamaka.

Assamaka was a desert, we walk five kilometres to Assamaka, the border between Niger and Algeria, walk five kilometres to reach the place. After that, we saw IOM. They took us to their place, it was a desert place, and we were there for fourteen days. They will help us a little with some food, water, tooth paste and brushes to brush our teeth.

After fourteen days, they sent us to Arlit. We were in Arlit for about a week now, but no moving out, because of the Corona virus it will also be a problem.

Now we don't have anything for ourselves, all of us are suffering in fact. We don't know what we are going to do now. We need support for everywhere we go now, because they took away all our money, it was a lot they took from us. They steal everything from us in Algeria, especially the police. The police are very thief in Algeria.

We are more than 900 people, different nationalities, Ghanaean, Senegalese, Togolese, Malians, Liberians, Gambians, Burkina Faso people and Ivorians, many nationalities are there. And we are with the IOM right now."

 

Report: Niger: Pushbacks and containment under the sign of the Covid crisis-19