He shares an apartment in Amsterdam with a man from Guinea. It’s a windfall for the Liberia-born 23-year-old, because without a residence permit it can be difficult to find a place to live. In the past few months, Mohamed Barrie has lived in a number of different places in the city. Sometimes on the streets, but usually with a roof over his head. Barrie hopes that in his new place he will be able to find some peace and quiet.

He is involved in a new legal procedure in an attempt to get a residence permit after all. An earlier request was rejected by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).

Dark cloud
Mohamed Barrie comes across as a cheerful person. He has no problems talking about his life, which has had a dark cloud hanging over it from the day he was born.

His father, sister and brother were killed in the Liberian civil war when Mohamed was still a baby. He has no emotional ties to his native country. Mohamed and his mother fled to Sierra Leone, where he was adopted by a local chief in the Kenema district. His adoptive father is held in high regard in the region. He trades in diamonds.

Child soldier
Like Liberia, Sierra Leone was unable to escape the chaos and violence. In 1991, civil war broke out, leading to massacres and rapes. Mohamed Barrie witnessed the violence. This time not as a victim but as an onlooker. Barrie was being prepared for a life as a child soldier and was made to watch people being killed. His childhood was coloured by blood. “These images are still playing through my head”, Barrie says. The killing of his friend Daddy was especially traumatic.

“Daddy’s father - Papa Loko - was a police officer. He belonged to a different tribe. I heard they had grabbed him. When I arrived at the scene, they had also grabbed Daddy. I can still hear his voice: ‘Please don’t let them kill me Mohamed, Go get your dad! But I just stood there and watched and did nothing.”

Georgia prison
Shortly after Daddy was killed Mohamed was sent to a military training camp, but he no longer wanted to fight. But how to get out of Sierra Leone? He took one of his father’s European customers into his confidence and he agreed to help in exchange for diamonds. So Mohamed stole a handful of diamonds from his father’s storage space.

The European promised to take Mohamed to Norway, but Barrie never got there. Via Guinea, Senegal and Turkey, Barrie eventually arrived in Georgia, where he was abandoned and subsequently arrested by the police who locked the young African up in a Tbilisi prison. Mohamed says life behind bars was hell.

“It was terrible, there was hardly any food. I was beaten up and abused on several occasions. In Sierra Leone I witnessed the bloodshed. These are traumatic experiences I have to live with. However, in Tbilisi I was the victim. It left me with many scars.”

Psychiatrist
Mohamed was released after about a year. The Georgian authorities put him on a plane to Ghana. During a stopover at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, Mohamed approached a customs officer. He applied for asylum but his request was eventually rejected by the IND. However, as a minor he was allowed to stay in the Netherlands until he turned 18.

Mohamed is now an illegal alien, but has not been deported yet because he is involved in a new legal procedure. Mohamed takes medication and is undergoing psychiatric treatment. He has very few activities to fill his day. Once a week he visits a meeting place.

“I spend a lot of time at home, feeling anxious. Those are the most difficult days. When you’re alone and start worrying. I witnessed a traffic accident the other day. I couldn’t sleep, because my past immediately came to the surface again”.

Music
As an illegal alien Mohamed is unable to rent a place to live. Fortunately, he has now found a person who temporarily provides him with a roof over his head. And he receives a small living allowance from the Amsterdam council which enables him to buy food. However, this project for underage asylum seekers will be terminated soon. He does not know what he will do for money after that.

“My biggest dream is to be safe and find peace. And making music. It allows me to spread my message and share my experiences. This is what saved me when I was in prison in Georgia. I would love to share my music with others.”

Mohamed has since completed a 12-track CD. He is now awaiting the judge’s ruling on his request for a residence permit.

(gsh/imm)