robot collapse starts on his 14th on d. w. why do we walk through out there when do we want to know our out in the 1st americans at some point in our lives while experience friendship listen all. that matters to. the minds. of the sahara zone. a vast expanse and home to people with centuries old traditions. that. was. was our last. round i packed. house these days that's

a hell region has also become known for radical islamists gaining political influence and for young people on the move in search of better futures elsewhere we travel to mali any share for this film. this is 10 book 2 in mali where the streets are once again filled with color and song. celebrations music laughter and dancing have returned to this fabled and mysterious desert city. back in 2012 things looked very different. in the summer of 2012 armed radical islamists seized control of cities in northern mali including timbuktu. in 2013 a fragile peace was restored to the city. on the transparent caravan route and the

un has stationed blue helmet soldiers in mali since then. but fear insecurity economic problems and unemployment remain there are few prospects especially for younger mali. over 5 years have passed since the occupation but timbuktu is still struggling to regain its identity. was born here 31 years ago he has spent almost his whole life here and knows nearly every building the only time he left timbuktu was during the occupation when he fled to the capital bamako ali used to work as a tour guide showing americans and europeans his hometown. he agreed to also lead us through the cultural oasis timbuktu. the crafters timbuktu is living together. and then.

how the kids are in to look to it is a different and different country and different areas because each other you can share everything together you can share food together you can share life together many things. used to be. but here and so life is too so different and that's why i love to look to similar like country. kind of people living here. older brother was also a tour guide and when ali was only 13 he started accompanying his brother while he worked that's how he learned english and everything else he needed for the job. but ever since radical islamists attacked the city foreigners have stayed away. many craftsmen have shops here in town but to ali used to stop by them regularly with tourists. you know for more than 5

years now life sold practically nothing and there are no more tourists and only locals occasionally buy something. tourism was once an important industry for 10 but too especially for young people like ali. it provided an opportunity for them to make a living here on the edge of the desert. people are always bright even now you see people up right deprived footloose a comeback. even that the 2 is to come to morrow i think for the pleasure of jim looks you're going to be very happy to head us news to see to us out on the city out on the ne because usually to move to the big song and its promise country from which will it be for. ever when the world and they when there's a church they're so happy even you guys don't hear people hoping to see you because been a long time to go see white people i don't want to look to. that used to be very different there was the famous annual festival oldies there in mali for instance

which was held twice on the outskirts of timbuktu tourists from all over the world came to see it. do it. you'll go there that they're doing. the business of it just. going to bed thank the festival became part of shared memory and helped forge timbuktu's image as a place where trois reg music could be heard and breathtaking desert seen. since the 2012 invasion however the festival has had to either be canceled or staged outside of tempted. but although the security situation in the city continues to deter tourists music on a smaller scale has returned performed by those pushing against the sorrow and the latent threat of islam it's. among them the band booked to jazz they develop their

jazz from the traditional music of timbuktu and sing in 3 of the region's languages . music is everything to me. i've been playing since i was a small child we're going to say. it's through music that i met so many different people. i got to play and collaborate with. rope so it's a big deal for me. when the news loses where we were not allowed to play but they infiltrated us some we had to pack our guitars and equipment away. there was no music who've lived here for. now musicians from elsewhere are slowly starting to return to timbuktu to give concerts.

in timbuktu we think of music as knowledge and to use as messengers we're here to spread the message of music to people in this entire region. is a good there is conflict but the message with spreading without singing is for peace for social cohesion and for progress. isn't there. when singer id isn't making music he repairs motorcycles and. he can only dream of making a living from his music in timbuktu. but. since the jihad has ceded power the local economy has been stagnating real jobs remain scarce but as he continues to dream of

a better tomorrow. i hope that some day people all over the world will know our music and. the effects of the occupation can still be seen in timbuktu. it began in 2011 with the revolution in libya which flooded this a hell region with weapons from gadhafi as arsenals. when in march 2012 a military coup distracted the central government in bamako. rebels seized the opportunity and declared independence in the north which they called azawad. but the movement was commandeered by the islamist group on sardine. and in june 2012 and sardined seized control of timbuktu. it's always peaceful our goal is

a religion. we do not need to conquer anything. islam condemns violence blame of jihad has to exterminate and throw out of the country those who oppose the spreading of islam. in the synopsis our goal is not to kill people or shed blood the goal of jihad is to rid the country of those who oppose the sharia and the spreading of islam. and it is. many would not describe this as a peaceful way. for 10 months on sardine try to force the people of timbuktu to abandon their moderate and tolerant practice of islam and to impose their radical version. women had to wear veils they were public flogging music and dance were forbidden. the girls didn't wear veils before the mujahideen came they said they didn't know that all women had to wear veils they orient themselves on the europeans watch their films the western media manipulate them even if you

are from the press you know that the media like television and radio manipulate are constantly talking about the western world that is why our daughters and women our children want to lead a western lifestyle. if you will follow. the islamists did not only try to change ways of living and dressing they also destroyed tombs of sushi saints which they condemned as strong. shares of idolatry the attacks on parts of timbuktu's historical treasures were attacks on the world's cultural heritage. is one of timbuktu scholars he is overjoyed that unesco restored the muslim. during the restoration process the destruction of timbuktu was being deliberated by the international criminal court tribe you know in the hague. in september 26th

seen the court reached a historic ruling that for the 1st time equated the destruction of cultural heritage with a war crime the islamist leader. was sentenced to 9 years in prison for intentionally directing attacks against religious and historic buildings in timbuktu it destroys part of humanity's shared memory and collective consciousness and renders humanity able to transmit its values and knowledge to future generations. even timbuktu's famous centuries old manuscripts were not safe during the occupation. has written books about 10 book 2 and the documents served as important sources the manuscripts are unique testimonies to the cultural history of west africa they were written in arabic and local languages between the 13th and early 20th centuries.

the manuscript infinitely important for the people of the city. that very old. did you say timbuktu had the largest university south of the sahara in the 15th and 16th centuries. for a university monies committee and the manuscripts to cover almost all subjects to louis ology traditional medicine history geography physics chemistry and astronomy the last 2 were. during the islamist occupation a rescue operation that has since become legendary was started. in large sections of the manuscripts were reportedly hidden and brought to safety in metal boxes by librarians and other helpers.

when the islamists 1st came to timbuktu and they weren't really interested in a manuscript. but later some of the less educated whites is who lived here in the library you'll do it again too and buns and manuscripts key. up around the limb and scary. a lot when the local people realized what was happening they did everything they could to save the manuscript. libin money scream. it remains unclear how many manuscripts were destroyed or stolen during the islamists rule. some estimates say it could have been 4000 before the french and mali in armies

were able to drive the islamists out of timbuktu. but thousands of manuscripts were hidden and even smuggled as far as the capital bamako including the collection belonging to the family of abdul qadeer haidar who had become known as the savior of the manuscripts. the mama collection is one of the most extensive and important in timbuktu and is said to contain about 42000 handwritten documents. only. we packed the manuscripts in metal boxes to count them safe before smuggling them out. we started transporting them little by little. i rode into jeeps or in small boats. there are also new jaron river. this would turn out to be just the beginning securing the manuscript has since

become a mammoth task. abdul qadeer has converted an entire house in the mali and capital also with financial help from germany. it is here that the manuscripts have been digitized catalogued and archived for several years now in order to secure them once and for all from mali and the world. someone is going to. we can't live without the manuscript. off it everything we do has to do with them. because you know when we talk about education or health when we talk about our intellectuals our history everything we know about this comes from the manuscript. there are reports that the scope and course of the manuscript rescue operation may have been exaggerated embellished perhaps also to help raise funds. whatever the truth is the smuggling story has revived the myth of

timbuktu and the timbuktu manuscripts are undoubtedly an important cultural heritage. but the situation in the city is still too insecure to bring the manuscripts back to their home. we're not here and by marco because we want to be here when we have to be here when security is restored we'll go back to timbuktu with the manuscript. and that's what we wish for. in got to be a mosque in timbuktu is the largest of its kind in west africa it was built in the 14th century and has been part of unesco world heritage since 1980. 5 then recently became the a mom here like generations before he is his predecessors heir and thus also the temporary owner of the library. it's 1000 manuscripts were hidden during the

islamist occupation as well. now the 26 year old uses the documents to prepare for friday prayers and once again preaches the tolerant and moderate form of his nom for which the desert city always stood until the islamists invaded. you know to its neck in this film kidnapped in book 2 we know no other islam than a tolerant ones in ma yet it is to be a muslim means to accept each other that is islam as a sense it's forbidden to hama nava this is the islam we practice here in timbuktu 15 minutes of question this is science from the one issue. they are looking for yes. oh i'm glad. alert.

during this friday prayer alphabet essay you spoke about the evil of ego ism. the one. good this is the tone set by his forefathers and a tolerant islam. own heart. 5 the tour guide is glad that tolerant islam is once again being practiced in his home city. but oddly feels the old fable trading town on the edge of the sahara through which large salt caravans once past has fallen into oblivion. many things continue to worry him even though the occupation of timbuktu by the islamists was 5 years ago life remains very difficult especially for younger people.

and even though i was found so are like tourists who maybe someday space meeting each other business news in books a good break every 2 not saying no for the youngest to do to have a farm somewhere to go have fun 2 2. there is excellent food like the meat skewers in this little street kitchen. but because of the bad roads it takes at least 2 days to reach the capital bamako from timbuktu ringback which reinforces the feeling of seclusion. fear is still a topic here. and not feel like saying too but there are some things here like bar to a nightclub maybe something like that grocery right. and

there are still attacks by islamists. in april 28th jihadists managed to detonate car bombs at the airport. the airport building was almost completely destroyed. during the presidential election in august 28th the situation was again tense for fear of violence the turnout was low and there was unrest. in addition to mali and french armies the un troops remain intent but to to provide security and peace.

lieutenant colonel beachfront a shot from nepal is on patrol today. the u.n. mission in mali is one of the organizations most dangerous. to have. to conduct. the city. but. we need protection from. germany also participates in the un mission in mali around $100.00 soldiers are stationed here which after afghanistan is the 2nd largest of the current 14 foreign missions carried out by the german armed forces. the primary objective in mali is to keep the population safe. and even to. drag

the local police only we are people that know what it takes to produce a ration on that day and yet no money down there now this time that's it if you disagree somehow you feel a lot. and a pretty awful lot but i think. the situation has improved a little also economically. the governor of 10 back to province says this is especially important for younger generations. well you know this it would like we could never get young people and more vulnerable members of society are particularly susceptible to being recruited by islamists or bandits used to visit those young that is a danger. this is why it is so important to support that we can build their resilience if you give us and then also give them economic opportunity. that is the

activity that is. the young people in timbuktu need and seek a perspective. so does. who lives in the middle of the city with one of his 3 brothers. he has managed to build a small business venture to earn a little money. runs a website together with an american through which he sells postcards from his home city which he then sends all over the world. the idea is simple if tourists come to timbuktu then timbuktu can come to them. you got. your message you send it in to any way maybe you can send maybe you know you know the state of america you want have a postcard from unit from to move to you would just put it by the website and from that website you would see your address and they said you want to could be. that

you send it it's a way to you know state where you are for. for $10.00 you can receive a postcard handwritten from one of the most legendary places in the world. ali and his colleagues won't get rich doing this and if something doesn't change soon in terms of 2 then ali doesn't see a future for himself here anymore. meanwhile he isn't the only young person trying to come up with new ideas for the future. this is ali-g. to raise a young filmmaker and friend of. the speakers and other equipment were being brought to our library for a screening. leaching was nervous because it was his film being shown. he made it together with friends. the film is an important project for cultural life in turn back to. this

is the 1st time that a film has been shown that's entirely from timbuktu if you. is an important moment . and it's the 1st time that people from timbuktu will go to the cinema. to do. the story about children in turn back to is made up. but the films message is real. in the film we show the culture of timbuktu the clothes it has styles the architecture. everything that concerns our city. we want to create a feeling of nostalgia for the people who no longer in the city. we want to arouse the curiosity of those who've never been here.

illegally and his film crew spent 6 months shooting in timbuktu with the simplest of minas. 2 laptops on a homemade table and served as an editing suite a sponge had to suffice for the noise suppression during sound mixing. the film was made with few means but plenty of passion. it then did was a challenge and we've never done it before but we tried and i guess we'll know tonight how we did it if the audience encourages us we'll continue. to work with. everyone was welcome at the film premiere including ali ali who wouldn't have missed his friend's big day. the screening became a social and cultural event in the desert city. even the mayor of timbuktu was present. to. thank an important this is

a decision not to look to said oh boy this film is so important because it was made by young people from timbuktu you don't already know says it is that's a great achievement which we value as you see the money it was energy shows the life of young people in our city it's a satisfying feeling but i must say it is interest that is folks. legendary timbuktu the desert city on the edge of the sahara still hasn't quite found its way the scars of the islamist occupation and the problems of the last years are still visible. the contrast between 10 buck to former glory and the present day creates

a certain tension. still alimi ali feels hopeful especially when he is drinking team with his friends on the sand and his thoughts are free to wander. i wish best to move to what i wish him to move to to have a piece. and living together like you used to know. or a big bear like the my ship song that living together sharing 2 together like you used to know before back to irish into i hope you'll be ok. dreams of finding happiness in his hometown he wants to stay here but there are many young africans from his age group who want to leave and look for happiness elsewhere but the path there is dangerous for example when they travel through the republic of any share. this is the

sun harra on the border between egypt and algeria. is a grave digger close to login every day he buries people who did not make it through the desert on their journey north. since 2016 a law prohibiting migration all flight towards the mediterranean has been in force in asia air. since those laws have been a lot of deaths most of them foreigners for them transit via me jet to algeria has been banned they now travel secretly to get last to die of 1st and exhaustion we found the bodies near here in the direction of algeria back there. we can't identify them they all travel without papers or receipts you bury them that that was 3 weeks ago and you know all the dead people here are strangers. for the good wishes. there are said to be tens of thousands of dead in the desert the exact

figure is unknown europe wants to keep african migrants in africa and to descend the government in asia has been working with the e.u. to secure and close its northern border to libya and algeria. we traveled through the sahara it's a dangerous journey to make even by car there's a risk of sandstorms 40 degrees celsius and there's no shade nor are there roads we traveled in a military convoy. law june is the last village before the algerian border. anyone headed for algeria has to pass through here. for years use of earned a living as a middleman connecting migrants looking for a ride with truck drivers for free at the time this was legal now everything has

changed your mind about without a sense a new law i can hardly find any migrants would be i carry luggage back and forth to earn a little money or at least. the use of told us that ever since the e.u. started exerting pressure on asia the business of moving migrants happens almost exclusively at night others also tell us of jeeps that cross the desert border in the cover of darkness the trucks shown here were full of workers from the share since spring 2017 algeria has been extracting huge numbers of migrants who had previously spent years earning a living in algeria back in tunisia. especially if it's a tense situation. algeria 6 or 7 months ago they started to arrest and throw out all the black people they could find and where not criminals we just trade but allow willing when a situation has eased i'll return. there were only

citizens from the share in the truck convoy headed south it seems those who come from elsewhere from senegal cameroon or ghana must walk there a video shot with mobile phones documenting this according to reports 13000 africans were deposited at the border last year it's a 12 kilometer walk from the border to asm a car and to a un refugee tent financed by the italian interior ministry from here the expulse get loaded onto trucks and deported back to their home countries. the journey through nisha is 1400 kilometers. we followed the convoy. planned for hit by a sandstorm it took us 3 hours to cover 100 kilometers at dusk we reached the

couple of. the year is the 2nd poorest country in the world with a per capita income of just $27.00 euros 80 per month women give birth to an average of 7 children giving these year the world's highest birth rates unemployment is immense and now new share is supposed to stop migrants who want to go north with the help of 1000000000 euros the e.u. is to provide an aid through 2020. interior minister mohammad is proud of the cooperation. that right now there is no state in libya. meaning the air is in effect currently the border to europe here a lot of us have you won the fight against clan to stand migration securely. you can't win this fight for good. but we've had

a lot of success much more than you can imagine. critics like human rights activists most of chang gary take a different view of the situation and that is that me for some years now mischa's government has been acting as the police force of the european union in the fight against what the e.u. calls illegal migration and still allowed this to go on because he aim is to prevent people from traveling to the north to the areas beyond i got there as well and that's the policy of museums government set up with 2000. doctors without borders and hide new goalie in a mobile clinic to care for people affected by this policy there are tens of thousands of them. referred to since migrants have been criminalized here it's become increasingly difficult they can no longer move freely have no status and no access to health care that is why we're helping them. we're going after them on.

typical symptoms include exhaustion depression and open wounds these men while also being returned to their homelands that were waiting for transport haitian and had already been on the road for a month but that's. to me i mean i know she said look it was terrible in algeria they sold us in a border town and build violent some of us were killed. others beat us until we called home and organized money up. pretty sure that i mean if he said when are you going back i thought it would be ideal but i think maybe you know you told her she was very very happy because this was the hell. it was i came out so many friends with all of your doubts about me for i don't know what i'll do in my home country i'll be on my own but the real fun is no

accommodation it'll just be more difficult. the migrants told us nisha is acting like europe's belts and affecting even those who were never trying to go to europe. or votes because parts are tomorrow with them or what we're finding is that migration flows are mainly horizontal in other words between individual west african countries or even within a given country for all the political works of those headed for europe is the minority are all very strong or offered minority. share used to have open borders for people from all over west africa. the country belongs to the economic community of west african states or eco as a free trade zone in which some states even share a common currency now the e.u. is deal with is severely restricting cross border trade and free movement of

workers. the consequences of which can be seen clearly in places like the capitals bus station. new book our use of hardly sells any tickets to the north anymore since there's been a change the migrants who used to come from other countries are no longer here so. they are living in hiding. we met a 19 year old senegalese who wanted to go to algeria to work he asked us not to film his face. my older brother was in libya then they sent him back when you return the money situation is where everything is very difficult. back so i have to go now he said don't go to libya trial period. when we met the man from senegal he told us he had been hiding in the shack together with the goat

for a year because the government has tightened the migration of those the bus companies no longer want to transport him so he found a different way we called a truck driver who had agreed to transport the senegalese men hidden between goods to the algerian border. i charge $1000.00 euros at the checkpoint one motorcyclist gets 10 euros to drive the migrants around the controls. the customers get back in the truck we have one to 3 customers pajoy me. we left the capital and began our trip to agadez. anyone heading to algeria must pass through here during the rainy season rivers overflowing their banks and grows become barely passable. we were slowly guided through.

the day is the hub for migrants on their way to algeria and libya for decades local nomads and illegal and good living here leading people through the desert once they used to be mainly tourists then it was african migrants. but now the twa regs are regarded as criminal people smugglers many around employed. and thought this work brings us credible sums of money lives and i look at them and the government wants to compensate us with 1500 or 2500 euro. missiles and can feel that some isn't enough to give the young people the courage to stop this jobs as. it is. this man was the head of the agadez de coeur to libya until the government confiscated his cards. very low knowledge on those who used to have cars

don't have them anymore those who used to have 2 wives don't have a single one anymore we've lost everything all our belongings. the e.u. has promised 2500 euro to each person affected by the crackdown on the migration market allegedly only 300 have received compensation and the official list of recipients seems problematic limited because he dismissed as completely useless i'm discovering more and more names here that have nothing to do with out i'm ok to day as a student you know it's even a more moderate has nothing to do with it it's the younger brother of our sultan he doesn't work. the men have asked the mayor for a meeting about the list but their requests have gone unanswered some say their frustration could escalate. as you begin to see this it would be my message to the european union and its partner the government of nigeria you must find

a solution for us otherwise only god knows what will happen he said south 6 of us sit by separate with no other viable employment options migration through the desert continues here sticks were being distributed for the passengers to hold onto as the jeeps raced through the desert. the men told us that they work regularly in libya. what else can i do i'm paul and a man mustn't be idle i have 3 wives and 6 children are my supposed to feed them i've been going to libya regularly since 2012. before found nothing and returned now i'm trying again. the e.u. is willing to commit both money and political influence to stop migrants from coming into europe and to keep africans in africa in the past 6000 people per week started the journey to the north today there are 600 this might look like an early

success but the price is high there are thousands who can no longer earn a living frustrated nomads who may revolt and an entire region with free movement has been restricted. in their.

sam wants to become a doctor instead. because. sad that because of this cut i can't go to school. around 2000000 turkish children today have to work to help support their families. what kentucky. child. global 3013. small circle

inspired big changes. people making it possible for eco africa. fantastic right trying that as they set out to safe environments. that had learned from one another. and work together for a better future. think miss out. on 90 minutes on d w. the world is getting more soon if moore's kids austerfield among problems going to the global 3000 talks would seem british researchers to take a more optimistic view. the wild is not always a good plan but it's much like that and it wasn't how. is the world really getting

better. thanks. a global $3000.00 special report. starts august 19th sunday to. the u.s. has formally asked germany france and britain to help protect shipping in the strait of hormuz controlled by iran the strait is a strategic route for much of the world's oil relations between tehran and the west have deteriorated since washington pulled out of a landmark deal designed to limit iran's nuclear program last year.