Whilst many explorers, travellers and, before them, traders have crossed Africa, today the routes that many would like to use to get around no longer exist, due to the closure of borders, the abandonment of railway lines or their outright disappearance. Yet Africans have a real need for these routes, for opening up Africa means, above all, enabling its inhabitants to move freely within their own territories. Whilst one might think that the only people venturing along these routes are those driven by poverty to seek a better life in Europe, the reality is far more complex. Along the way, one encounters those travelling to visit their families, those seeking work, or, having failed to find any, those who must give up and turn back, heading home. The construction and renovation of transport links between different countries was notably one of the projects of Pan-Africanism – a political and cultural movement for the union of Africans and their descendants outside the continent.

Largely thanks to the support of the newspaper *Libération*, Bruno Boudjelal travelled the length of the African continent from north to south, from Tangier to Cape Town. He brings back images in vibrant colours – characteristic of his work – revealing unique landscapes and destinies. This book traces the route the photographer travelled over several years and brings to life the journey he had envisaged for so long. To accompany this visual collection, Bruno Boudjelal shares the stories he gathered during his encounters.