Sylvain Cherkaoui, photojournaliste

Awa Tidjani is a mother of two children. Her husband, an Izala Wahhabi Muslim preacher, lived in Diffa before he was kidnapped in April 2013. He went to Kano in Nigeria to pick up some goods and never came back. Four months later, he was able to call his wife to tell her he had been kidnapped by the rebels. His last call came over 18 months ago. “I don’t think they would’ve killed him. They’ve probably kept him to lead prayers,” she says. “My neighbours were very supportive in the beginning, but since attacks began in Niger in 2015, I’ve become stigmatized. People think my husband has joined the rebels.” Her son and brother are being held in prison on suspicion of being members of the rebel group. “They’ve got nothing to do with the rebels. But a lot of young Izala Muslims leave to join them. They do it in secret; their families can’t do anything about it. Some leave to make money; they hope to come back rich.”