Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Kim Feh
Published on 2024-02-27 21:51:35
Amid the ongoing armed conflict in the Anglophone regions, Cameroonian Akum Elvis from the North West has shared his challenging journey from his homeland to Germany. His story sheds light on the difficulties faced by those seeking refuge in the midst of conflict and instability.
“I left Cameroon with the goal of reaching Germany in 3 weeks, but ended up spending 2 whole years,” Elvis shared in a Facebook post.
Elvis described a relatively smooth journey from Cameroon to Nigeria, then on to Niger. However, it was crossing the Sahara Desert into Algeria that marked the beginning of a grueling ordeal.
“A car meant for 4 people carried over 9 of us. It dropped us halfway into the desert where we spent a week sleeping on sand and surviving on just one bottle of water with no food,” Elvis revealed.
After enduring extreme conditions for a week, another car picked them up and took them 500km to the toll gate of Algeria. From there, the group had to walk the rest of the way. Elvis shared the harsh reality, “We walked for over 2 days, and more than 3 people in the group were so exhausted that they chose to stay back and face death in the desert.”
Upon reaching the town of Tamarasset in Algeria, Elvis spent months before heading to the capital, Algiers. The journey was not without loss, as Elvis remembered seeing lifeless bodies along the way. Many in his group were left behind, their fate sealed in the vast expanse of the desert.
“I spent a long time in Algiers because deportations were happening, and I had to evade the police by moving from one place to another,” Elvis added. The challenges continued as he traveled from Algiers to Tunisia, falling victim to robbers who took his belongings. Undeterred, Elvis and his companions embarked on a difficult trek from Tebessa to Tunisia, with some succumbing to the harsh conditions, while others were caught by the police.
After resting in Tunisia, Elvis undertook the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy. Reflecting on this part of the journey, he said, “We spent about 3 days on the water, and successfully reached Italy.” From Italy, Elvis continued his journey, passing through Switzerland on his way to Germany.
Elvis’ narrative has evoked various reactions from Cameroonians. While some find it inspiring, others like Chukwuma Ndiogulu believe that labeling Elvis’ experience as a “success story” overlooks the dangers faced by those who have made similar journeys in the past or plan to do so.
Last year, over 5000 people from Africa, including Cameroon, died trying to reach Europe, a statistic from the UNHCR highlighting the severe risks of such journeys. Many perish in the desert or suffer from heat-related issues long before reaching the sea. Ndiogulu emphasized that for every story of survival, there are countless tales of loss and death without records, stressing that while Akum’s determination is admirable, his story should not obscure the dire circumstances that drive others to take such dangerous paths.
Read the original article(French) on Mimi Mefo Info
