By Moctar Dan Yaye, Niamey
This year, Thursday, 20th of June, was celebrated around the world as International Refugee Day. But in Niger the celebration of this day was interrupted by demonstrations.
Deportations, discovery of 4 dead people and a survivor woman found in the middle of the desert.
Despite the delay in news publications, much has happened in Assamakka's surroundings on the Algerian-Niger border since June 2019. This is a summary of the latest events based on the reports by Mohamed Souleymane, Alarm Phone Sahara's Alert Launcher in Assamakka, and Azizou Chehou, Alarm Phone Sahara's coordinator in Agadez:
#DesertMarchAgadez
#MarcheDesertAgadez
According to Alarme Phone Sahara team in Agadez, the minor refugees who had made a demonstration through the main roads of Agadez before setting off for the desert finally returned to the UNHCR camp, waiting for solutions.
#DesertMarchAgadez
#MarcheDesertAgadez
Sudanese minors who had been at the UNHCR refugee camp in Agadez/Niger have left the refugee camp on 18th of July to march through the desert towards Libya in protest against their situation.
The refoulements from Algeria to Niger continue on a large scale.
According to the whistle blower of Alarme Phone Sahara, at least 1316 people have been refouled from Algeria to Niger in the zone of the Assamakka border checkpoint since 1st of May 2019, often under conditions of life-threatening human rights violations.
Images of rescue of 28 migrants between Achinouma and Latai in the Tenéré desert.
Migrants and refugees lost between Point Zero and Assamakka after pushback from Algeria. Alarme Phone Sahara condemns practices putting peoples' lives at stake.
At least 8 migrants died in the border region between Algeria and Morocco between December 2018 and 5th of February 2019.
Thursday, 14th of March 2019, the team of Alarme Phone Sahara whistle blowers from Bilma participated in the rescue of a group of 25 persons who had been in distress in the desert for several days due to a breakdown of their vehicule. The people concerned were citizens of Niger on their way for seasonal migration to Libya.
