Okwudiri Straightman Nwali

Letter from Raqqa: 'A prison guarded by men in black'

A resident of ISIL-controlled Raqqa dreams of his hometown prewar and pre-ISIL.

23 Nov 2015 20:43 GMT | War & Conflict, Middle East, Syrian crisis, Syria, ISIL

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This is the street where Ghareb al-Omawi's home was in Deir Az Zor, before he moved to Raqqa [Ghareb al-Omawi/Al Jazeera]

Syria's Raqqa province was taken by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group in late 2013 and its main city declared its capital. What was once a busy and bustling city is now a place where people live under a brutal and oppressive regime.

A resident of the city reflects on daily life under ISIL.