The shipwreck of Sfax and the 4 martyrs of the Cherni family

Hamza Ferchichi

Wissem Rhimi

Ashraf Boulila

Mohammed Ali Boulila

The people you see in theses photos all belong to the same family. The Cherni family, from the city of Kef. They are between 25 and 30 years old. Bilel, the one with the blue shirt, is the brother of Najib, the girl who gave me the four photos in a cafè of Ouardiya, in Tunis. The other three are their cousins Mohammed Naceur, Mohammed Dieb and Mahieddin. Mahieddin is the oldest. Born in 1980. He would have turned 32 on February 7. But this year his wife Suhayla and the two little girls of four and two will not have anything to celebrate. Because Mahieddin has disappeared. And with him Mohammed Naceur, Mohammed Dieb and Bilel. The last time the family heard from them on the phone was March 29, 2011. All four had reached Sfax and from there were embarking on a boat to Lampedusa. From that night no more contact. And no news. Not even the family members who were waiting for them in France ever saw them arrive. Everything suggests they died at sea during the crossing. Along with 70 other passengers who were on board in addition to the four of them.

translated by Camilla Gamba