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Testimony

Stories and voices of people directly concerned by migration in Africa.

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From Burkina Faso to Canada, inspiring rise of Flora Zongo
Testimony

From Burkina Faso to Canada, inspiring rise of Flora Zongo

From Burkina Faso to Canada, Wend-Nèyellé Flora Inès Zongo is carving out a journey that commands admiration. A master’s student in business law at the University of Montreal, she pairs academic excellence with civic commitment. She volunteers with organisations such as Amnesty International and Welcome Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, and she belongs to the Institut du Nouveau Monde. …

‘Migrant women are not only victims, they are agents of development’ — Arlette Mvondo, UN Women
Testimony

‘Migrant women are not only victims, they are agents of development’ — Arlette Mvondo, UN Women

In West Africa’s migration story, Senegal stands out as a country of origin, transit and destination. It hosts more than 280,000 international migrants, and women make up nearly half of them (47%), according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The same source estimates that more than 740,000 Senegalese nationals live abroad, …

In Chad, Sudanese women in the Kuchaguine-Moura camp recount war and exile
Testimony

In Chad, Sudanese women in the Kuchaguine-Moura camp recount war and exile

Since war broke out in Sudan in 2023, neighbouring Chad has become one of the main host countries for civilians fleeing the violence. In the eastern province of Ouadaï, the Kuchaguine-Moura camp shelters thousands of refugees. Behind the numbers are mostly women and children forced to live through a war that has upended their lives. …

Mobility and identity, Pélagie Nabolé’s struggle to reconnect with her culture
Testimony

Mobility and identity, Pélagie Nabolé’s struggle to reconnect with her culture

A figurehead for a generation of Africans on the move, Pélagie Nabolé lives between cultures and ambitions. Passionate about communication and deeply committed to literature, she made her name in Burkina Faso’s literary world very early. At just 16 she wrote her first novel, Le péril, published in 2012 while she was still in the …

“Remittances will run to between $120 billion and $150 billion a year over the next decade”
Testimony

“Remittances will run to between $120 billion and $150 billion a year over the next decade”

The fact often goes unnoticed. Capital transfers rarely make the headlines when it comes to migration. Quite the opposite: it is the traumatic, harrowing images of migrants seeking a better life that draw the media, alongside sensational headlines built to sell. Yet the African diaspora is achieving remarkable things, sending home considerable sums that feed …

African migration: leaving to survive, returning to build!
Testimony

African migration: leaving to survive, returning to build!

African migrants are activists, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, communicators and researchers. Some live in Canada or the United States, while others continue to work in Africa. Their paths may be different, but their voices converge on the same reality. African migration is not a whim or a passing trend, but a profound symptom of a continent searching …

From exile to movement, the journey of journalist Baba Alpha
Testimony

From exile to movement, the journey of journalist Baba Alpha

What if exile could be more than just uprooting, and instead become a geographical and political rebirth? For journalist Baba Alpha, the asphalt of West Africa has replaced the comfort of office corridors, and dusty buses have become travelling newsrooms under the open sky. Travelling from Bamako to Lomé via Ouagadougou and Accra, he crossed …

Boza Fii founder Saliou Diouf reflects on migration, community support, rememberance
Testimony

Boza Fii founder Saliou Diouf reflects on migration, community support, rememberance

Ahead of the Commermor’Action event on 7 February in Yenne, Senegal Mr Saliou Diouf, founder of returnees association Boza Fii, spoke to Dialogue Migration touching on migration issues, community support and the upcoming Commermor’Action event . What is Commemor’action Dakar 2026? We play a central role in coordinating telephone lines and are often the last …

Access to rights remains challenge for migrant workers in West, Central Africa
Testimony

Access to rights remains challenge for migrant workers in West, Central Africa

West and Central Africa have developed one of the continent’s most advanced regional frameworks for the free movement of people and the protection of migrant workers. Yet despite significant legal and institutional progress, many migrants continue to face barriers when seeking to exercise their rights in practice. According to Dr Christian Angue, Senior Lecturer in …

Seydou’s grueling journey from Russia to Germany, France
Testimony

Seydou’s grueling journey from Russia to Germany, France

Seydou Diop’s journey was extremely difficult. The young Senegalese man travelled from east to west across Europe. He experienced the cold of Russian schools and foreign detention centres in Germany, before finally arriving in France. Having been forced to flee the war in Ukraine, he is now trying to rebuild his life after four years …

Rivaldo Worou, balancing competitive basketball and coaching in Benin
Testimony

Rivaldo Worou, balancing competitive basketball and coaching in Benin

On a lively afternoon in February 2026, the basketball court at Charles de Gaulle Stadium in Porto-Novo, Beninese political capital, is filled with energy. Young athletes move from one drill to another as coaches oversee training sessions across the different courts. The sound of bouncing basketballs and squeaking trainers echoes through the venue as players …

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