A REFUGEE who walked 120 miles barefoot to raise awareness

of human rights violations has pledged to march across

Africa.

Emmanuel Neba Fuh, of Croydon Walk, Derby, spent 17 days

trekking to London without shoes, despite hurting his foot.

He walked through the pain barrier to reach 10 Downing

Street yesterday afternoon, where he handed a petition to Prime

Minister Gordon Brown's aides.

The University of Derby graduate fled his native Cameroon

seven years ago after peaceful political protests put his life

in danger.

He set out on the challenge to raise awareness of human

rights issues in Africa.

The 34-year-old said: “My challenge was nearly halted at the

weekend when I suffered a swollen foot. The pain was awful but

I thought 'if I have to crawl, I will do'.

“My decision to walk barefoot, rather than in shoes, aims to

challenge people from this country to look differently at the

whole human rights issue and compel them to act – not just to

observe.

“I also discovered that my brother-in-law in America had

died two days into my challenge but my family and my own

determination to complete it willed me to carry on.”

Mr Neba Fuh, along with fellow supporters from the Movement

Against Genocide in Africa, left Derby's Council House on June

16.

He walked alongside Zimbabwean friend Khumbula Dube, from

Chalkley Close, Derby.

The 39-year-old fled Zimbabwe in 2003 and says the recent

controversial elections in his homeland helped to focus their

minds on the trek.

Mr Neba Fuh, who has three children – Nuriah, four, Morena,

two, and Noah, eight months – won a national award for

volunteer work in 2005.

He has served as chairman of Derby Refugee Forum and was a

member of the Derby Community Safety Partnership, Derby

Minority Ethnic Advisory Council and Derby Holocaust Memorial

Team.

Now he has vowed to walk across Africa barefoot in 2009,

collecting a million signatures for a treaty which aims to

prevent leaders staying in power for more than 10 years.

He said: “I have seen first-hand some of the atrocities in

Africa which forced me to leave the country. I feel ready and

able to inspire voiceless Africans to have a new sense of

dignity and destiny.

“Too many African leaders have been in power for too long.

Something has to be done in support of millions of destitute

Africans who have become refugees in their own country.”

The petition has been organised by the Derby For Africa

Initiative.

Read more about Mr Neba Fuh's journey at

www.derby forafrica.org