Cameroon - Douala - Joel Kevin Fomtse left Cameroon when she was just 17 (four years ago). She crossed the border with Chad and called the family from the capital N'Djamena. "She told us she wanted to cross the desert to Libya" remembers the father. "We were all crying here, but she tried to reassure us, saying she had prepared herself." Joel did make it to Libya, where she spent several months between Benghazi and Tripoli trying to gather the means to pay for her...
more »Cameroon - Douala - Joel Kevin Fomtse left Cameroon when she was just 17 (four years ago). She crossed the border with Chad and called the family from the capital N'Djamena. "She told us she wanted to cross the desert to Libya" remembers the father. "We were all crying here, but she tried to reassure us, saying she had prepared herself." Joel did make it to Libya, where she spent several months between Benghazi and Tripoli trying to gather the means to pay for her crossing. "She used to tell me the sea was quite agitated" he says, his voice full of sorrow as if he was anticipating the tragedy. "I kept on asking her 'Can you make it?'. 'Yes, I can make it'" he continues, recounting the conversation. "'Ok then', I said. "May God bless you.'"
That was the last time that Alphonse Fomtse (pictured here with his youngest son), 53, spoke with his daughter. The man keeps on watching the international TV channels, hoping to have news of her. Joel's uncle even went to Libya to gather news about her, to no avail. "Not knowing if she is dear or alive what pains me most" continues the father, clearly in distress. "Maybe she ended up eaten by the sharks. I don't know."
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