At the entry point to Niger's capital, Niamey, about 15km (nine miles) from the city centre where convoys carrying fleeing Gaddafi loyalists have recently passed, it seems to be business as usual.
A few police officers are on duty at the checkpoint that opens the way to the long road leading to Agadez, hundreds of kilometres northwards, and then on to the Libyan border.
"Several cars escorted by our military passed through here late in the night last week," says Hamza Toudou, who sells aubergines and onions on the side of the road.
At least three top commanders loyal to Col Muammar Gaddafi have made it to Niger in the past 10 days.
One his own sons, Saadi, has also joined the growing group of officials from Libya's deposed government who are being hosted on "humanitarian grounds" by Niger's government.
The fleeing Libyans are believed to have been travelling with Tuareg fighters from Niger.
They were allegedly hired as mercenaries by Col Gaddafi in his battle with supporters of the National Transitional Council which now controls most of Libya.
"We hear on the radio that the Libyans are here but we have not seen them so we don't know exactly who they are," says Mr Toudou.
Next to him stands Mukaila, who runs after buses stopping at the road block to sell plastic bags of water to passengers.
He says Niger has "no choice but to host them because they are Muslims".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14903435
Note: 14 September 2011 Last updated at 07:17 GMT