Nameless migrant's silence enshrouds his story in mystery: @jeromedelay: image via AP Images @AP_Images, 25 June 2018
The migrant holds a pole for hours on end, mutely standing or crouching.
In
water-splashed dust, he sits by the faucet, rubbing at his leg until
the scorching sun sets. He paces the camp, stops, paces more - eyes
always cast down. He stares at the food brought to him by other
migrants, at a wall - anywhere except at the other men and women around
him.
“We think he might be from Guinea, he seems to stay close to
the people who speak French,” said Aliou Kande, an 18-year-old migrant
from Senegal. No one is sure because he doesn’t speak.
One
afternoon in early June, he rose and started to undress in the midst of
the compound. Gently and firmly, Kande and others restrained him and
belted his trousers. They had spent the previous evening bathing him.
The
only certainty about the man is that he was expelled from Algeria with
thousands of others before ending up in this transit camp in Arlit, a
decaying mining town in the heat of the Sahara.
With scars on his
hands and arms, some assume he endured the unspeakable in Algeria, a
place where migrants have been jailed, beaten and robbed by authorities
before being abandoned at gunpoint in the Sahara Desert. He survived the
forced walk to the Niger border post of Assamaka, where the
International Organization for Migrations has picked up many of the
expelled African migrants and taken them to the Arlit transit center.
From
there, the IOM normally organizes transport home for the men, women and
children who have been expelled. But with no name, confirmed
nationality or family to claim him, the anonymous man was trapped in the
Arlit compound.
His story remained trapped there as well.
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria sits in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 1,2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 1 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria sits in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 1,2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 1 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria sits in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 1, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 1 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria sits in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 1, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 1 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria paces in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 1, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 1 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria paces in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 1, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 1 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria sits by a water point in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 1, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 1 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria sits by a water point in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 1, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 1 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria watches others play football in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 1, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 1 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria watches others play football in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 1, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 1 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria stands in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 2, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 2 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria stands in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 2, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 2 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria is restrained by others after he attempted to strip naked in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 2, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 2 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria is restrained by others after he attempted to strip naked in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 2, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 2 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria is restrained by others after he attempted to strip naked in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 2, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 2 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria is restrained by others after he attempted to strip naked in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 2, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 2 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria is restrained by others after he attempted to strip naked in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 2, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 2 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria is restrained by others after he attempted to strip naked in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 2, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 2 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria lies after being restrained by others after he attempted to strip naked in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 2, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 2 June 2018
A young migrant who has been expelled from Algeria lies after being restrained by others after he attempted to strip naked in a transit center in Arlit, Niger, on June 2, 2018.: photo by Jerome Delay/AP, 2 June 2018
cold eye of a killer
epa editor's choice 27 June 2018: Some
of the 82 rescued migrants react as they arrive in Motril, southern
Spain, 26 June 2018. Spanish
Maritime Services have rescued a total of 273 people trying to reach
Spanish soil while traveling on several small boats. #migrants #RESCUE
#SpanishMaritimeServices #smallboats #Motril #southernSpain #Spain #epaphotos Photo epa-efe / Miguel Paquet: image via epa photos @epaphotos, 28 June 2018
#Spain A
young migrant waits on board the "Guardamar Luz de Mar" Spanish rescue
ship upon his arrival at Algeciras' harbour after being rescued at sea. Photo Marcos Moreno #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 28 June 2018
Cropped #Kennedy pic in NYT Daily Brief inadvertently casts focus on a grim-looking, and now pronouncedly leftward #RBG.: image via Reading The Pictures @ReadingThePix, 28 June 2018
Lot less griping season 2 went too far. *Under his eye.* Photo @evanvucci @whitehouse: image via Reading The Pictures @ReadingThePix, 28 June 2018
#India A woman hugs a tree during "Save The Tree Campaign" in New Delhi Photo @Chandanphoto #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 27 June 2018
#UK
Military aircraft enthusiasts watch as a United States Air Force F-15
fighter jet as it travels at low altitude through the 'Mach Loop' series
of valleys near Dolgellau Photo @oliscarff #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 27 June 2018
SYRIA - Deadly strikes hit rebel south Syria after assault on city begins Photo @AbazidMohamad #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 27 June 2018
#Sri Lanka A street vendor sells prawns, in Colombo Photo @lakruwan7 #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 27 June 2018
#India Fishermen use nets to catch fish at the banks of the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati Photo @bijuboro1981 #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 28 June 2018
#Afghanistan A burqa-clad woman carries a box on her head along a road in Herat. Photo @hoshangAFP #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 27 June 2018
#India Fishermen use nets to catch fish at the banks of the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati Photo @bijuboro1981 #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 28 June 2018
#Russia Playing with a ball in front of a mosaic depicting Russian communist leader Vladimir Lenin, in Kazan during the #WorldCup Photo @bencremel: image via Aurelia BAILLY @AureliaBAILLY, 27 June 2018
#Kenya Another deadly fire rips through Kenyan capital's main market #AFP: image via Aurelia BAILLY @AureliaBAILLY, 28 June 2018
epa editor's choice 28 June 2018: Police officers stand in front of smouldering timbers after a huge fire burned down timber shops at Gikomba market in Nairobi, Kenya, 28 June 2018. The fire quickly spread to the adjacent buildings and shops, killing at least 15 people and injuring many more. #Police #timber #Fire #HughFire #MarketFire #Gikomba #GikombaMarket #Nairobi #Kenya #epaphotos Photo epa-efe / @daikurokawa: image via epa photos @epaphotos, 28 June 2018
Another deadly fire rips through Kenyan capital's main market Photo SImon Maina and #afpphoto: image via AFP Photo @AFPphoto, 28 June 2018
Another deadly fire rips through Kenyan capital's main market Photo SImon Maina: image via AFP Photo @AFPphoto, 28 June 2018
epa editor's choice 28 June 2018: Police officers stand in front of smouldering timbers after a huge fire burned down timber shops at Gikomba market in Nairobi, Kenya, 28 June 2018. The fire quickly spread to the adjacent buildings and shops, killing at least 15 people and injuring many more. #Police #timber #Fire #HughFire #MarketFire #Gikomba #GikombaMarket #Nairobi #Kenya #epaphotos Photo epa-efe / @daikurokawa: image via epa photos @epaphotos, 28 June 2018
Another deadly fire rips through Kenyan capital's main market Photo SImon Maina and #afpphoto: image via AFP Photo @AFPphoto, 28 June 2018
Another deadly fire rips through Kenyan capital's main market Photo SImon Maina: image via AFP Photo @AFPphoto, 28 June 2018
Another deadly fire rips through Kenyan capital's main market Photo SImon Maina: image via AFP Photo @AFPphoto, 28 June 2018
#Nigeria Nigeria Army announces arrests after central Nigeria violence #AFP photo @HeunisStefan: image via Aurelia BAILLY @AureliaBAILLY, 28 June 2018
#Nigeria Nigerian villagers bury their dead after attacks, then flee #AFP photo @HeunisStefan: image via AFP Photo @AFPphoto, 28 June 2018
#Nigeria Nigerian villagers bury their dead after attacks, then flee #AFP photo @HeunisStefan: image via AFP Photo @AFPphoto, 28 June 2018
#Nigeria Nigerian villagers bury their dead after attacks, then flee #AFP photo @HeunisStefan: image via AFP Photo @AFPphoto, 28 June 2018
Residents fill their containers with drinking water from a tanker in India Photo @adnanabidi: image via Reuters Pictures @reuterspictures, 28 June 2018
A law enforcement officer stands guard on a playground while Melania Trump tours a detention facility for children in Phoenix: image via Reuters Pictures @reuterspictures, 28 June 2018
"I want to thank you for all your hard work," First Lady Melania Trump told border and immigration officials at a Customs and Border Patrol facility in Tucson, Arizona, during her second border visit to see migrant children: image via AFP news agency @AFP, 28 June 2018
The reality at the border. @CBPArizona came across a 6 year old from Costa Rica last week. Abandoned on a border road with a note "I'm looking for my mom." 100 degrees and we're told all he had was a backpack and a bottle of Coca-Cola. Told agents he was looking for parents in U.S.: image via Tom Lllamas @TomLlamasABC, 28 June 2018
The reality at the border. @CBPArizona came across a 6 year old from Costa Rica last week. Abandoned on a border road with a note "I'm looking for my mom." 100 degrees and we're told all he had was a backpack and a bottle of Coca-Cola. Told agents he was looking for parents in U.S.: image via Tom Lllamas @TomLlamasABC, 28 June 2018
The reality at the border. @CBPArizona came across a 6 year old from Costa Rica last week. Abandoned on a border road with a note "I'm looking for my mom." 100 degrees and we're told all he had was a backpack and a bottle of Coca-Cola. Told agents he was looking for parents in U.S.: image via Tom Llamas @TomLlamasABC, 28 June 201
“From four years of teaching at Harvard, so many of my students are
interested in journalism, but they mostly want to write first-person,
highly personal narratives about themselves. That may reflect their age.
But I think there’s too much of that in journalism. It’s not about us.
It’s about the world, and covering the world.”
Jill Abramson, 28 June 2018
#Afghanistan Afghan men ride a bike as the sun sets on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif. Photo @Farshadusyan #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 27 June 2018
#UK Firefighters work to contain a moorland wildfire on the hills near Stalybridge Photo @oliscarff #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 27 June 2018
on the ball
* [Badhia, Crete]: photo by Dimitris Makrygiannakis, 4 August 2015
* [Badhia, Crete]: photo by Dimitris Makrygiannakis, 4 August 2015
* [Badhia, Crete]: photo by Dimitris Makrygiannakis, 4 August 2015
holy dribbling [Athens]: photo by yiannis f., 10 December 2017
Untitled [Milan]: photo by STUART PATON, 12 June 2018
San_Martin-8222: photo by Carlos Rebolledo Fernández, 10 June 2018
San_Martin-8222: photo by Carlos Rebolledo Fernández, 10 June 2018
San_Martin-8222: photo by Carlos Rebolledo Fernández, 10 June 2018
* : photo by AUDSADANG SATSADEE, 18 June 2018
Religious holiday [L'viv, Ukraine]: photo by Tetyana Bunyak, 13 June 2018
Religious holiday [L'viv, Ukraine]: photo by Tetyana Bunyak, 13 June 2018
Religious holiday [L'viv, Ukraine]: photo by Tetyana Bunyak, 13 June 2018
Tirana [Albania]: photo by Julie Hrudova, 6 June 2018
Untitled: photo by yiannis f., 29 July 2017
Untitled: photo by Marco, 18 June 2018
Untitled: photo by Marco, 18 June 2018
DSCF99: photo by Bojan Nikolic, 29 March 2018
Fontella Bass (1940-2012): Rescue Me (Chess, 1965)
ReplyDeleteMinnie Riperton backup vocals
Maurice White drums
Louis Satterfield bass
Gene Barge tenor