Below is a synopsis of the Malian asylum seeker case:
The client was born in the region of Segou. His ethnic group is Peul
(also known as Fulani). There is a ceremony that is preformed when a
baby is born where the father or village chief holds the infant over a
fire (in outstretched arms) to give it blessings, if the fire goes out
it means the child is cursed and must be killed otherwise the child will
bring bad luck onto the village and family. The ceremony is called
Baraka or Den Baraka (Bambara for Blessing or Child Blessing). My
client's life was spared but instead he was sold to a Grand Marabout
(Islamic-Tijanniya Imam) who is very well known and lives in Bamako. My
client was raised at the Grand Marabout's house and was forced to work
as soon as he was able. He was sent to other people's farms or
construction sites to do work that he was never paid for, he was a
slave. He slept outside under a gwa (awning), he was not cared for,
little food was given and never any medication provided if he was sick.
When the client was about 19 or 20 his master was going to sell him to a
Twareg, another slave owner. The Twareg slave owner practices
castration to prevent any sexual relations between his slaves and the
women in his family. One of the wives of the Grand Marabout helped my
client to escape from being sent with the Twareg. He was sent to Egypt
where he studied at Al-Azhar for a time and started a discussion and
interest in Christianity with a woman he met that now lives in another
country. After seven years my client tried to return to Mali and went to
a village in the district of Kati. After 3 months he saw a seasonal
worker who worked for the Grand Marabout and they recognized each other.
My client believed that the seasonal worker would tell the Grand
Marabout that he had returned to Mali and so feared for his safety and
left immediately to Bamako and took a flight out early the next morning.
In Egypt my client continued his studies and then eventually quit and
converted to Christianity. As a result he received one death threat, he
has moved houses many times and he does not feel secure in Cairo because
of his conversion.
As mentioned in the previous posting ideally I would like to find
someone who would be able to comment on birth rituals, slavery, and how
converts are treated in Mali. I also need someone to explain Malian
social norms and networking to show that there is no place in Mali where
my client would be safe. My client has given me permission to share his
redacted testimony and reasons for rejection if there is someone willing
to write a statement.
Overall I find my client credible but unfortunately there is not much
country of origin information available to support his case.
Regards,
Gwendolyn Roeske
Legal Advisor
AMERA-Egypt
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