Javier Alvarez/SOS MEDITERRANEE
This is Xidig’s story, in his own words.
I am 27 years old. I was born in Somalia, Mogadishu. My father died in Mogadishu, also my mum. In Somalia, there is civil war in our country and every morning there is no peace, there is no food, there is no knowledge, no school, no respect, no medical [care], you know?
That’s why I moved out of my country. You know Somalia is always fighting. Sometimes it’s political—government, sometimes it’s [tribal], sometimes it’s Al-Shabab. Al Shabab killed my father, so that’s why I’m always scared, I’m always afraid of Al-Shabab. Because they don’t have any kindness. They always kill people with knives, with guns. So my father, they killed him [with] a knife, without reason.
Everyone needs peace, but Al-Shabab, they don’t want peace. There is fighting, there are bombs. No respect. That’s why the people are always running out of the country. There is no life in Mogadishu.
Alisha Vaya/SOS MEDITERRANEE
Background on Xidig
Xidig’s father was killed by Al Shabab, an Islamic militant group. His mother also died previously, and he was raised by his stepmother. He left Somalia because of the insecurity, absence of peace, and the constant threat of being attacked by Al-Shabab for being part of a minority tribe, for his political views, or for no reason at all,
After leaving Somalia through Kenya, Xidig lived in Nairobi with relatives, saving money to go to Libya. He travelled through South Sudan, Sudan, and then Libya. There, he was held for more than a month in a room with 35 people and beaten by Libyan militia members who demanded $9,000 for his release from detention (for comparison, the average annual salary in Somalia for an office worker is estimated to be about US$600-700)..
Xidig’s stepmother, who raised him, sells goods such as tea and sugar, earning very little. She asked her community for money to secure his freedom and eventually managed to pay his jailers so Xidig would released.
In total he spent 5 months in Libya. He decided to escape Libya for Europe because of all the violence he endured. Xidig had suffered too much and felt very frightened of being caught again.
Xidig’s dream is to be able to study, and he wants to become a singer.
