#west-africa

#west-africa

The room smells of sweat and fear. A thick chain with a padlock seals the barred door, and inside, three young people lie on mattresses on the floor, dozing off thanks to a mix of exhaustion and diazepam. Every so often, nurse Saio Keita approaches to check their vital signs, and the youths stir in their half-sleep. Ibrahima (a fictitious name) is one of them. Connected to an IV drip, he watches her expressionlessly and dazed from somewhere deep within his mind.

For Imani-Ligon Chambers, a 21-year-old Black American college student from Manhattan, managing her frizzy, curly hair has always been a challenge - made harder by her nut allergies, which rule out common hair oils like coconut and almond. That's why she relies on products made with shea butter, a longtime staple in Black hair care. "Hair products containing shea butter are the only ray of hope for my frizzy curly hair," Chambers said.

National Police officers have arrested 19 people on suspicion of murders and torture on board a cayuco rescued on August 24. The vessel was adrift in waters off Gran Canaria and 248 migrants were in it, although one subsequently died in hospital. Several migrants who were travelling in it spoke of murders, wounding and torture committed during the crossing. The disappearance of at least 50 people thrown into the sea by the alleged people smugglers is also being investigated.