A Gambian migrant, Modou Ceesay, survived in the Sahara Desert by eating raw onions after Algerian police reportedly left him and nearly one hundred other migrants stranded. Ceesay was among those crammed into a truck and dumped approximately 30 kilometres from Assamaka, Niger, deep in the desert, following their arrest in Tamanrasset. Days without proper food forced him to rely on the onions for sustenance during the ordeal. He later made his way to Arlit.
Desert Abandonment and Hunger
Modou Ceesay recounted his experience of being arrested in Tamanrasset before Algerian police transported him and nearly one hundred other migrants by truck, abandoning them deep in the Sahara Desert, approximately 30 kilometres from Assamaka, Niger. "I had just been released from a prison in Tamanrasset," Ceesay stated. "I was crammed into a truck with nearly one hundred other migrants and dumped by Algerian police deep in the Sahara Desert, about 30 kilometres from Assamaka, Niger." During this ordeal, Ceesay observed another Gambian migrant named Abdoulie crying and consuming raw onions, as he had no other food for survival.
Ceesay reflected on the harsh realities of the desert environment. "I remember watching him from a distance while hiding my own food from him. I could not bring myself to share it," Ceesay said. "That moment has never left me. Not because I was cruel, but because the journey had reduced all of us to base survival." He later described the lengths he went to find food. "I would buy the cheapest plate of food I could afford, usually for 200 CFA, and then sit quietly watching the customers. Once they finished, I collected whatever leftovers they abandoned and put them into a plastic bag." Ceesay added that these scavenged meals often came with consequences: "Sometimes the leftovers caused severe stomach pain, but I had no alternative."
Ceesay acknowledged the profound impact of the experience on his humanity. "If we had been home, I would never have allowed a fellow Gambian to sit hungry beside me while I hid food in a bag. But the Sahara is not home," he explained. "Out there, survival hardens your heart in ways that are impossible to explain to anyone who hasn’t lived through it." Ceesay expressed lingering concern for Abdoulie. "I left Abdoulie there that night and eventually returned home, but I never left his story behind. To this day, I wonder whether he survived, whether he ever made it back, or whether he is still stranded somewhere along the back-way."
Survival in Arlit
After trekking across the desert, Modou Ceesay eventually reached Arlit, a town where numerous stranded migrants awaited transport home. Hunger became a daily struggle at the Rimbo bus station in Arlit, where migrants slept on concrete floors, cardboard, and old mats. Ceesay survived by purchasing the cheapest food he could afford, typically for 200 CFA, and then gathering leftovers abandoned by customers at a small restaurant. This establishment was owned by a Sudanese man named Alex. Ceesay recounted that these scavenged meals, though providing sustenance, sometimes caused severe stomach pain, but he had no other option for survival.
The Human Cost of the Backway
Modou Ceesay embarked on the "backway" route towards Europe, enduring detention, severe hunger, and the harsh conditions of the Sahara Desert before ultimately returning to The Gambia. Ceesay reflected on the profound impact of these experiences, stating that the harsh conditions in the Sahara fundamentally change individuals, forcing them into a struggle for survival. He described how the journey reduced migrants to a state where basic needs overshadowed other considerations, hardening hearts in ways difficult to explain to those who have not lived through it.
Upon his return home, Ceesay continued to carry the memory of Abdoulie, another Gambian migrant he encountered in the desert. He expressed persistent wonder about Abdoulie's fate, questioning whether he survived the ordeal, made it back to safety, or remained stranded somewhere along the treacherous route. The experience left an indelible mark on Ceesay, noting the human cost of the journey.
