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Malian refugee Doud Ag Ahmidou, 45, left, poses for a portrait with his family near their shelter in Goudebou refugee camp, Burkina Faso on 10 March, 2013. When Doud felt the bombings hit the village next to his encampment, which made his animals lie to the ground in fear, he knew he had to leave as soon as possible. Before that, they have becoming increasingly worried with the exactions committed by the Malian Army. The most terrifying was when the Malian Army bombed the neighbouring encampment in March, 2012, with airplanes killing a good family friend, with whom Doud had grown up with. The Malian Army mistook the camp for a rebel base. As they lived not far from the encampment that was attacked, him and his family heard when the bombs hit, “they made the entire land tremble”. After the bombing stopped, militias came to finish off the job and kill the survivors, at this moment two of their close family friends were killed in this second round of violence. Doud himself arrived in the encampment a couple of hours later and found the bodies that were still there, some of them with cuts and bruises still fresh from the Malian army. The youngest victim was 14, whom he helped bury. This awoke bad memories of 1994, when their extended family was hit by an aerial bombardment campaign that killed 60 people, including direct family members and family friends. After this event, although he wanted revenge and prayed that “God give him the power to eat his enemies roar”, he decided to leave as he feared for the life and future of his children and wife. The most important thing Doud took on his trip was a Touareg Pillow, which was the first item they decided to bring with them. The pillow has two important significance for them. It is an item that could bring immediate comfort during their flight. Doud explained that during the difficult 6-day flight on a donkey’s back towards Burkina Faso, the pillows brought comfort to his children and his wife at night. “By placing their heads on a pillow they brought from their home made them think of the peaceful nights back in our encampment”. Secondly, as the pillow is made out of traditional touareg material, it represents a direct connection of Doud with his ancestors and his traditions. Others in the portrait: Takua (6 years), Ali Yassir (3 years), Salif Al-Islam (1 year). (Photo by Brian Sokol/Panos Pictures)
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