“The agent told them his boat is capsized.”

–Bakary David
Location: near Naples, Italy

Bakary David and I have been calling and texting the last known number of the trafficker in Libya who sent his brother, also named Bakary, across the Mediterranean Sea on 20 January 2017, but to no avail. It was his sister-in-law who had the last contact with the agent, who told her the news: his boat capsized after leaving Libya. The agent was one hired within Gambia, paid for upfront, giving the family access to updates across his brother’s journey; they cannot account for, however, anything that happens to a body after it leaves the Tripoli shores.

Bakary has been missing since his boat pushed off the coast in late January of last year, but it was only two weeks ago that his junior blood brother, Bakary David, heard the news. He only expressed that he was “very sad.”

We will see what contact can be established with the trafficker, and investigate what, if any, rescue vessels were in the area to witness the capsizing last year. If the boat was lucky enough to cross into international waters, some fact might be found. Otherwise, outside of the SAR zone, the story of Bakary’s final moments might be permanently lost.

. . . 

Like “Alagie” Bakary David has found sporadic work. First, at a commercial laundromat that services restaurants and hotels in the Napoli area; but after a verbal contract of payment was reneged and a written one failed to materialize, Bakary David found seasonal occupation at a greenhouse farm, also near Napoli. 

Pictures of the zucchini and tomatoes he harvests are seen here. Bakary’s is one of the faces you can connect to the produce you shop for at the supermarkets in Italy.

Posted: 23 August 2018
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