Hawa, originally from Guinea Conakry, in the Ariana district of Tunisia, on Sept. 2, 2024. (Credit: C.H.)
"‘Tunisia is calm and welcoming,’" his Ivorian friend had promised him. That was enough for Jean-Louis, who was seeking to leave due to the political situation in Côte d'Ivoire, to take the plunge. He left behind his wife, child, and his job as an industrial technician. Today, all Jean-Louis hopes for is that the outcome of the 2025 Ivorian presidential election will allow him to return home. "At my age, I'm not about to try crossing the sea..." he laughs at himself. Jean-Louis has only just reached his fifties, but he insists while pointing to his temples that he feels older: "Look, see the white hair." He doesn't say if the thought of making the perilous journey ever crossed his mind over the past five years. What he does express, however, is his urgent desire to escape the hostile environment that now fills the streets of Ariana, a...
"‘Tunisia is calm and welcoming,’" his Ivorian friend had promised him. That was enough for Jean-Louis, who was seeking to leave due to the political situation in Côte d'Ivoire, to take the plunge. He left behind his wife, child, and his job as an industrial technician. Today, all Jean-Louis hopes for is that the outcome of the 2025 Ivorian presidential election will allow him to return home. "At my age, I'm not about to try crossing the sea..." he laughs at himself. Jean-Louis has only just reached his fifties, but he insists while pointing to his temples that he feels older: "Look, see the white hair." He doesn't say if the thought of making the perilous journey ever crossed his mind over the past five years. What he does express, however, is his urgent desire to escape the hostile environment that now fills the streets of Ariana,...