Alfred Lukaji Anisio Roba
Age: 37
Region: Bahr Al Ghazal
I am from Juba in the Central Equatorial region. There was fighting between the
Sudan government and the SPLA.
I was a businessman in Juba. I was arrested and beaten by the Sudan government
security because they said I was a supporter of the SPLA. This is why I decided to go
out of Sudan. I would but items in Khartoum to sell in my two stores in Juba. I sent
items I bought in Khartoum to the airport. The government security men from the
North took all the items from the airport when I came back to Juba. They took my
things by force. I saw my situation was no good and I can’t to my business, so I
couldn’t even live.
I left Juba, because of the war, in 1999. I went by plane from Juba to Khartoum. After
two weeks I went by boat to Egypt. In Egypt, I went to the UN and applied for
resettlement. I was in Egypt until June 25, 2002 and then I came to Memphis,
Tennessee. In Memphis I was under medical treatment and I attended school ESL
classes. After nine months, on the 30th of December, I decided to come to Arizona
because I have a lot of friends here. Memphis is cool but here it’s hot. I don’t like
snow.
I went to Uganda in 2005 and saw my family. When I arrived in Uganda, my brother
died that same day. It was very bad news. I stayed in Uganda four months. My wife
Julia, is twenty-two, and is in Nairobi. After I get my U.S. citizenship I will bring her
here.
I was going to school at Phoenix College until last year. Right now I go to the
International Institute of America and study detention and security. I want to learn
to work hard. I want to get my citizenship. America is a good place for everybody.
When I came here, the government took care of me because they brought us here.
God Bless America because they helped a lot of our people, including me.