Fear and anger: Lebanese in West Africa live war vicariously

Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon have sent shockwaves through West Africa's Lebanese community, which comprises several hundred thousand members of the diaspora.

Three of them tell AFP how they are living vicariously through the violence — from Senegal's capital Dakar to the economic hub of Abidjan in Ivory Coast and Nigeria's megacity Lagos.

From sadness to fear and anger, they speak of the solidarity which underpins their community.

"For me, the Israeli strikes began on October 8, 2023," the day after Hamas's unprecedented attack, said Zeidan, the 61-year-old director of a telecoms company, who is a Shia Muslim.

"We knew that Israel's next step would be Lebanon," he added.

"On the first day of Israel's attack (on Lebanon), a close childhood friend of mine, who I grew up with here, had a bomb dropped on his house," Zeidan said.

"I received photos from (another) friend. Then we looked. It was him, his mother, his brother," he added. They were all dead.

"My friend said to me, 'Expect there to be more.' And since that day, we've been on alert."

"I have aunts and cousins in Tyre in the south of Lebanon who left, who set off straight away when the problems started. But as we see that Israel is beginning to extend its influence over the whole of the Beirut area, it could be at any time" that they are affected, Zeidan said.

"Material support is provided through supply, distribution and money transfer chains via several groups based in Dakar, Abidjan, Nigeria and Lebanon," he added.

"My cousin in Beirut sent me a message saying, 'we have a group ready, mobilise everyone and see what you can do: nappies, towels, products for women and children, all these things are good to take.'"

"I feel sad and angry," Zeidan said.

"Sad because we find ourselves in a situation where we can lose a country overnight and find ourselves the new Palestinians of the land.

"And anger because of the powerlessness we have today in seeing what is happening and the indifference of the West to this situation, which appals us," he said.

"My parents used to live here in Ivory Coast, but they returned to Lebanon six years ago because of my mother's health," said a 31-year-old sales assistant, who was born in Lebanon to a Shia mother and Sunni father.

"There was a lot of bombing around them, they were in Tyre" and "took refuge in a house in Beirut" about two weeks ago, she added.

"We're always watching the news, we can't even think about working any more. Every time we hear that they've bombed, we call my parents. We try to send them money, to help as much as we can," she said.

"If all this stops, if they go back south and don't find a house, then we really won't know what to do.

"You're trying to bring your family out from the country, but it becomes difficult because the demand has exponentially increased," he explained.