"Ussu grew up in a small and unstable African country, a former Portuguese colony that was no stranger to attempted coups (the country is not being named to protect Ussu's identity). A good student, he dreamed of going to university to train to become a doctor, but he was required to complete two years of military service first. Once he was in the army, though, his superiors refused to release him. Years passed and there was still no sign of an exit route."
"A few of us army colleagues got involved in the coup to overthrow the government because we were surrounded by killings and corruption, and we wanted something better for the country, he says. The coup failed, and imprisonment, beatings and torture with iron bars followed. I was in prison for two months and 17 days, and have scars down the right side of my body, he says."
"People in countries like the UK don't understand how refugees make decisions because our experiences are so different from theirs. A friend and I decided to risk escaping because we couldn't face any more torture and beatings. We knew we might be killed but decided to take the risk. I didn't have any good options. It was 28 April 2008."
Ussu grew up in a small, unstable former Portuguese colony and was required to complete two years of military service before university. His superiors kept him in the army indefinitely, and he became increasingly dismayed by killings and corruption. He and a few army colleagues joined a coup to overthrow the government; the coup failed. He suffered imprisonment, beatings and torture with iron bars and spent two months and 17 days in jail, leaving scars. A friend and he decided to escape on 28 April 2008, and family assistance with a false Portuguese passport helped him reach the Gambia before onward movement to Britain, where a nearly two-decade fight followed.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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