By Biran Gaye
The death of Modou Njie, a young man from Barra, The Gambia, has sparked outrage and renewed calls for international scrutiny of Algeria’s treatment of Black migrants.
Modou Njie was killed on Friday, 29 August, in Algiers under disputed circumstances, according to Refugees In Libya.
According to the official account, Njie died after “jumping” from the fifth floor of a building while being pursued by Algerian security forces. However, advocates and community members vehemently reject this version of events, insisting that Njie was not suicidal but driven to a desperate end by relentless persecution. “He was haunted and hunted until death was the only escape left to him,” said a statement from migrant rights groups.
Njie’s death is being seen as part of a broader pattern of racist and violent treatment directed at Black migrants in Algeria. Reports from advocacy organizations describe daily harassment, arbitrary arrests, and mass expulsions targeting Black migrants. Hundreds are reportedly rounded up in mass convoys and transported to Point Zero on the Algerian-Nigerien border, where they are abandoned in the desert without food or water—a practice that has led to numerous deaths. These accounts have been regularly documented by groups such as Alarm Phone Sahara.
Migrant advocates are now calling for urgent action. “We call for an immediate and independent intervention to investigate his death and to put an end to the systemic violence, expulsions, and daily abuse faced by migrants in Algeria,” the statement continues. They urge international organizations, human rights bodies, and regional authorities to demand accountability and implement protections for migrants in Algeria.
The tragedy of Modou Njie’s death highlights the dangers faced by Black migrants in North Africa and the pressing need for systemic change.
