Tu le Diras a Ma Mere

by Joseph E. Mwantuali

L'HISTOIRE VRAIE DE COCO RAMAZANI Coco Ramazani, orpheline depuis son plus jeune âge, connaît une enfance rude et douloureuse. Entraînée de force dans les conflits armés qui ravagent la région des Grands Lacs et singulièrement l Est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC), elle est victime de violences sexuelles, sort réservé à de nombreuses femmes, cibles privilégiées dans ce type de conflits. Ayant réussi à rejoindre une de ses s urs aux États-Unis, Coco doit aujourd hui lutter contre la maladie, conséquence directe des viols subis, et contre les grands traumatismes de la guerre. Malgré cet effroyable destin, elle refuse de s enfoncer dans le silence et a trouvé le courage de raconter son histoire à Joseph Mwantuali, lui- même originaire de RDC.

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 21, 2013

Reviews

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mettre les mots sur l'indicible, inviter la communauté internationale frappée d'un aveuglement cupide à regarder, nommer l'assourdissant génocide que les oreilles de gens bien pensants s'obstinent à nier, conter les innombrables viols que subissent nos mères, nos soeurs et nos jeunes filles à l'est de la RDC depuis 1993 sans répit ! Coco Ramazani l'a fait dans la douleur et les larmes avec cette résilience qui n'a rien de glamour. Non ce n'est pas une strong black Woman, c'est un être en danger que le capitalisme a décidé de sacrifier sur la table du profit sans scrupule ni remords. Ce livre ne s'explique pas, il se vit et se laisse lire entre deux souffles coupé.

[Chris Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lived in Eastern Congo during some of the period covered by this book, and though I saw pieces of how hard life could be for people, it was enlightening to have a view into what one person experienced with family life, the decline of an entire country, and the exploitation of personal power from pastors to office bosses to soldiers. The book jacket suggests it is a story of child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which is a bit misleading, since really it's a novel written as memoir of one person, Coco Ramazani, who describes what it was like to grow up in a hellish situation. And only a part of her situation was due to the war -- half the book covers how hard it was for a girl to negotiate the dynamics of poverty and unstable family life, which eventually pushed her into working for one of the many rebel groups that continue to disrupt life in the East.

The book cover describes it as a "novel based on the true story of Coco Ramazani," though Mwantuali has managed to make it read as her memory of her life path for her first two decades. Perhaps that is due to his skill in taking her story and getting it out in a way that is understandable to those outside the Congo, recognizing that he has to provide enough background to understand the bizarre politics of the region and a confusing set of players that change frequently and are distorted by the lies of governments that know few people will confront them. While the description makes it sound depressing -- and it is -- it is written with verve and resolve that can be inspiring as we see how she maneuvers her way through the world where all choices are bad. An important story that deserves wider attention.