“Go to Timbuktu!”, which means something like: “Go as far away as possible!” Alidji lives right there, in this city that is said to be so incredibly far away from everything. He is 28 years old and has spent most of his life in the city on the edge of the Sahara. Most of the time he is out and about with the camera in hand, taking pictures and filming. For example at the game and the victory celebration of the football club in Timbuktu, where he used to play. Everything he needs to know, he taught himself. “I didn’t study and I didn’t get a degree for a job. It’s not easy, but I’ll manage,” says Alidji. And he wants to get things done. For example, he organized a film festival in Timbuktu and wants to start a cinema. It would be the first in town. About ten years ago Alidji experienced what many in Timbuktu now refer to as “the crisis”. Islamist fighters had occupied Timbuktu and subjected the population to their cruel rules. Alidji tells Malcolm how he experienced the occupation at the time, how he lives in the desert city today – and why the Islamists still play a big role in it. And what he thinks about the foreign troops on the ground possibly leaving soon.
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You can see Alidji’s pictures from Timbuktu on our Instagram channel:
https://www.instagram.com/sack_reis_podcast/
Malcolm is also on Instagram and is happy about messages:
https://www.instagram.com/malcolmohanwe/
The Weltspiegel also reported on the situation in Mali. You can see the films here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYLCmDTlgDQ
https://www.daserste.de/information/politik-weltgeschehen/weltspiegel/videos/mali-proteste-gegen-franzoesische-praesenz-video-100.html
https://www.daserste.de/information/politik-weltgeschehen/weltspiegel/videos/mali-keine-ruhe-im-krisenstaat-video-100.html
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