Photos

This photo is part of a series of photos I want to send about Ivory Coast. Each of them tries (and probably struggles to succeed) to illustrate some of the events that happened in Digba (small village close to Daloa) in October 2002, while I was paying a visit to the family of a good Ivorian friend of mine living abroad now.

Lea is a Bete woman from a small village called Digba, located 15km from Daloa city.
We became very close friends since the day she started calling me by the name of her former husband “Baté Blé”. Every time she would pass by the compound where I used to stay she would shout “Baté Blé?”, to which I would respond through a comically executed military salute that would make her laugh.

The day I took the picture was 3 days after the day the Bete (“local” ethnic group) of Digba chased the Dioulas who had been living in this same village for more than 30 years. During that event, houses have been burnt and looted (see photo of the day in question).
When Lea shouted “Baté Blé?”, I emerged from my siesta and went to great her. This is when she asked for a portrait. She was actually just back from a “treasure’s hunt” in the ruins of the Dioula’s side of the village. On the photo you can see her last son holding a grille on which the Dioula women used to smoke fish and sell them. She was proud to expose her booty.
Her grand-daughter used to cry and scream every time she would see the “white devil” (me), and hold her grand-mother tight.

During the looting, Lea was pointing to members of her family the houses where she knew some Dioula women has stored paddys and other goods... (see photo)