Somali migrant recounts torture in Libya but says hope for a better life still drives him
Awale is one of hundreds of thousands of Somalis who have fled decades of conflict and hardship. While many seek safety in neighboring countries, others — like him — still dream of the West despite rising barriers
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00:00Somali migrant Mohammed Abdi Awal says his dream of reaching the U.S. has survived a brutal journey across Africa months of torture by smugglers and detention in Libya.
00:13Awal is among 165 Somalis recently repatriated after enduring harrowing conditions while attempting to reach Europe.
00:24My long-term dream since childhood has been to live in the U.S.
00:33But when Trump came to power, my hope of going there was dashed because he hates foreigners.
00:38I still hold on to the hope of going to the U.S. and I believe that will happen after Trump's term expires.
00:47His journey took him through Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and Sudan before smugglers captured him near the Libya border and took him to Kufra, a notorious hub for trafficking networks.
01:01Captures filmed him being beaten to demand ransom from his family.
01:06They threatened me and instructed me to send the money.
01:11A poor woman, I couldn't afford the ransom so I reached out to all Somalis begging for help.
01:17Thankfully they responded and my son was released after we paid $17,000.
01:24After his release, Awal attempted to continue towards the Mediterranean coast but the journey deteriorated further.
01:32The group walked more than two weeks through the desert facing starvation before being detained near Tripoli.
01:39They spent three months in various detention centers before finally being flown home in November.
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