The Tragedy Of The Stupid Nation

Max-Landry Kassaï

Description

The Tragedy Of The Stupid Nation retraces three decades of political instability during which the people of the Central African Republic suffered from several waves of violence that lead to the breakdown of the social cohesion between the different communities (first along ethnic, then along religious lines). This book is a personal and collective account of the massacres, looting and fleeing and an indictment of misgovernance, nepotism and political inequality. The consequences of which are, too often, carried by the population. Combining different literary genres, Max-Landry Kassaï gives the reader an appreciation of what it is to come of age in the Central African Republic.

Informations

• Publié par: Langaa RPCIG
• Date de parution: 14 février 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• EAN13: 9789956551033
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

in the Central African Republic and during his flight to Congo, to make his readers understand the social and emotional damage done to ordinary people by these crazy wars fought by ‘madmen’ everywhere in the world. The cruel and violent passages are not easy to read, but they do arouse anger and despair in the reader as is felt by the author against his aggressors. A must read for everybody who is concerned with the effects of war on society.”

suffered from several waves of violence that lead to the breakdown of the social cohesion between the different communities (first along ethnic, then along religious lines). This book is a personal and collective account of the massacres, looting and fleeing and an indictment of misgovernance,

often, carried by the population. Combining different literary genres,

school at Saint Marcel seminary in Sibut (Central African Republic). He holds a

fled violence in his country and was a refugee for over a year in DR Congo. In 2014, he decided to return to Bangui where he nowadays lives and works. Max-

 (editor) works at the Institute for History (Leiden

migration within Central and East Africa. During her PhD research on Central African Republic refugees in DR Congo, she met Max-Landry in Kinshasa in 2014. This book is a fruit of their friendship.

The Tragedy of the Stupid Nation - Max-Landry Kassaï -

Max-Landry Kassaï

THE TRAGEDY OF THE STUPID NATION Max-Landry KASSAÏ

Langaa Research & Publishing CIG Mankon, Bamenda

i

Publisher: LangaaRPCIG Langaa Research & Publishing Common Initiative Group P.O. Box 902 Mankon Bamenda North West Region Cameroon [e-mail] www.langaa-rpcig.net Distributed in and outside N. America by African Books Collective [e-mail] www.africanbookscollective.com

ISBN-10: 9956-551-74-0

ISBN-13: 978-9956-551-74-3

©Max-Landry KASSAÏ 2020 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or be stored in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher ii

Content Content........................................................................ iii Acknowledgments ...................................................... vii Note from the editor ................................................... ix Foreword ....................................................................xix Introduction ................................................................. 1 Chapter 1 ...................................................................... 4

Chapter 2 .................................................................... 11

Chapter 3 .................................................................... 16

Chapter 4 .................................................................... 23 Chapter 5 .................................................................... 26 Chapter 6 .................................................................... 33 Chapter 7.................................................................... 39 Chapter 8 .................................................................... 45

Chapter 9 .................................................................... 50 Interlude I: Tribute to African childhood ................... 58 Chapter 10.................................................................. 61 Chapter 11.................................................................. 64 Chapter 12.................................................................. 67

Chapter 13.................................................................. 75

Chapter 14.................................................................. 86

Chapter 15.................................................................. 90

iii

Chapter 16.................................................................. 96 Interlude II : The cry of hope .................................... 102 Chapter 17................................................................ 106 Chapter 18................................................................ 111

Chapter 19................................................................ 119 Interlude III: What’s the point? ................................ 121 Ways out of the crisis ............................................... 123

iv

This book is dedicated to the victims of the crises in the Central African Republic

v

vi

Acknowledgments My sincere thanks go to Catherina Wilson, without whom this book would not have been possible. She gave me a taste for writing and helped me to complete this first book. Many thanks also to Professor Mirjam de Bruijn and Dr Jonna Both for their close collaboration and extensive support. Also, I cannot forget Didier Kassaï for his advice and his excellent cover design, as well as Pacôme Pabandji for his participation in the production of this book. Finally, a big kiss to my beloved daughter, Divine Alice, who gives me the smile and the strength to continue. Max-Landry Kassaï

vii

viii

Note from the editor Catherina Wilson Max and I first met in Kinshasa in May 2014. At the time, he had already been living in the Congolese capital as a refugee for some months, and I was at the beginning of my PhD trajectory, wishing to research Central African Republic (CAR) refugees. I thought I needed to travel to the border area between CAR and Congo to meet these refugees, and thus a passage through Kinshasa for administrative and logistical purposes seemed obligatory. I had been in Kinshasa on several occasions in the past and knew people that could help me. Such was the case of Aristote Gardinois Makola, one of my Kinois ‘brothers’. Having just finished a degree in communication— meaning he had time to spare—he accompanied me around town. Aristote turned out to be more than an assistant; he was a key informant and, as I would learn (in hindsight, as we always do), a gatekeeper to interesting people—and on more than one occasion. Aristote had overheard Patricia, one of his neighbours, mentioning that Radio Elikya (the Catholic radio station where she worked) had a CAR refugee in their midst. As I told Aristote about my research plans, he immediately made the connection and put me in contact with Patricia. And so the ball started rolling. Patricia then took me to the radio premises, where Max and I met. I remember seeing him standing in the corridor: a slim young man wearing an orange t-shirt, gentle and well-spoken. In

ix