Algeria (SCF) – In many ways, the outcome of the Arab Spring is still in flux six years on. So far, little attention has been devoted to the largest country of Africa and the Arab world. Algeria has remained largely unaffected…
They’re either Libyans or migrants but all of them have at least one thing in common: they’re black. It’s a stigma which makes life even harder in a country where chaos is the only rule, reports Karlos Zurutuza.
It’s easy to spot them sweeping the streets of Tripoli dressed in orange jumpsuits. Some others are more elusive, like those in the Gargaresh district, in southwest Tripoli. They line up along the road waiting for occasional work in construction. The atmosphere in Gargaresh is always tense and everyone seems reluctant to speak. Chiboy, a 22-year-old Nigerian, explains the reason behind the deafening silence.
‘This is like a game of Russian roulette,’ said the young migrant, holding a spade. ‘We can either jump on the back of a truck for a job in construction, or end up in the back of a pick up that will take us to a detention centre,’ he explains, constantly keeping an eye on the busy road.
After 40 years of exile, patience is wearing thin among Western Saharan refugees. With no sign of the long-promised referendum on independence, some consider ending the 24-year ceasefire with Morocco their only option. Dominik Sipiński reports.