nine white pickup trucks, each carrying young men riding into the desert

Surrounded by chaos, Niger is a nation on the edge

The West African country, a crossroads for trade and transit in one of the world's roughest regions, is clinging to stability. But for how long?

A convoy of pickups packed with Nigeriens and other Africans begins a three-day trek from Agadez, Niger, through the Sahara to Libya. Many migrants intend to work there; others hope to reach Europe.
This story appears in the July 2019 issue of National Geographic magazine.
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