COPYRIGHT DICHO DISASHI 2006
NO WHERE TO RUN
COPYRIGHT DICHO DISASHI 2006
NO WHERE TO RUN(extract of the autobiography the lost dream)
Note, Bill for Safety reason of some of the family's members I decided not to talk about all the members of the family because some are still based in Congo.
Please change Tshimpuki name to Kabasele. Tshimpuki still in Katanga.
PART ONE: THE WAY OF LIFE
I was wondering why our families names where strange. Strange enough that in the classroom follow people used to mocked about my names.
I remember as a young child from the nursery school, I got in trouble with teacher for retaliation. They were calling me: Pum, Pum or even bullet...
In fact Disashi meant in Swahili spoken in Lubumbashi Bullet. And my mother's name was called Mutoka or white. Some uncles where even called Kapitain or captain.
For many years as a young man I hated our family�s names. Very strange. At some point I even hated school even though I was doing well. Some pupil gave me all surnames of my physical appearance. Many used to call me, Red man or Mutu rouge. In a country were 99% of the populations are blacks.
The teacher had no time for excuses and used to punish me for the wrong doing. All my uncles with whom I was close told me that it was also very difficult for them. The people used to mocked of they names. That alone motivated me of trying to accept all the mockery. I was not the only one to be mocked for names. Many pupils where also in the same situation like me but I felt that in our families it was too much because most of the names had a meaning in Swahili. Swahili wasn't a dialect. I was a language brought by Arabs and was spoken in many African countries such us Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda. In short many African countries in the East of Africa where speaking that language.
But the Swahili of Lubumbashi was influenced by many local dialects. And sounded little different with the original Swahili that people called Swahili Bora. But at school we used to study the Swahili Bora.
My mother ends up giving me a name called Prince. But African names where very important. In our tradition names had always a meaning. It give the origin of the family and tribe and the same time keep the history of the clan.
The African history was kept in names. Names could celebrate the ancestors and keep the story alive.
My grand parents were speaking a very different language called Kasai while in Lubumbashi where I was born they were speaking Swahili. And how come the origin of my ancestors was Kasai but our names has a meaning in Swahili the language spoken in Lubumbashi in the province of Katanga? Swahili was spoken not only in Katanga but the East of democratic republic of Congo called then Zaire? Katanga was situated in the South East of Congo next to Zambia while Kasai was thousand kilometer away in the Center of Zaire.
I was too young to understand the story behind the names and the family history.
As I was born in Lubumbashi in the province of Katanga. I had only one love in my life my city of birth. I loved so much that city that I was thinking that I will spend my entire life in that province.
It was one day while watching a soccer game opposing Mazembe my die hard team of Lubumbashi against a team soccer team of Kasai, Sanga Balende. It happen that match my favorite team won. I was so happy teasing my mother Mutoka. At some point she got angry and told me. "You shouldn't support Mazembe. We are foreigner in this land."
I didn't took seriously those remark. For me my mother was just taking nonsense. I and many uncles where born in Lubumbashi and our love was Lubumbashi. I was wondering if the African proverbs: "the hears will never grow taller than the head.
The elders often are right with theIR talking."
"A mouth of an old man can stink but not the word."
A warning never to minimize the elder.
"An elder is a living dictionary."
The old people has experienced many things in life and they experience is useful for the youth.
I was wondering how can I be foreigner in my own country Congo and in my town of birth?
On street time to time we could hear people complaining: You people of Kasai got the best job and are richer...Really I didn't know what they meant.
Katanga was just over 420 000 kilometers square in the South west of Congo with a population of about 5 millions with about 1 millions emigrated from Kasai. Well known for copper and cobalt and other minerals resources such us tins and few gold. And Kasai ( Oriental and occidental) just over 500 000 kilometers in the center of Congo. With a population of about 7 millions for bother parts of Kasai. Well known for industrial and jeweler diamond.
Those provinces each were much bigger than many countries. About the size of Zambia, bigger than Congo Brazzaville, and ten more than ten times bigger than Rwanda or Burundi. They were like countries on they own.
In the end of 80's. I decided to become a priest and the only way to be a catholic priest was to go at petit seminary then go to grand seminary. I choose to go to Manono, it was about 800 kilometers of Lubumbashi still in the province of Katanga then it was called Shaba. The only good thing of Manono is that my uncle Tshimpuki (KABASELE) Disashi was situated just 200 meters away of my seminary. He was a medical gynecologist. People used to call him a doctor of women.
It takes me many days to reach that place. The roads were unpaved. In a country bigger as Western Europe only 2000 kilometers were paved. Johannesburg alone has more than 8 000 paved roads. The only paved roads were in the many big cities. Only few boulevard. With plenty of rivers and forests.
It was a shock to my family. Most of them where not catholic believer and on top of that being a priest meant to never get married. In Africa a man who is not married and do not leave children once he dies, he die forever. Children were the continuity to celebrate the life of they parent or ancestor. Dying without children was a useless journey on earth.
I was born in the generation under Mobutu Sese Seko the dictator. We were brought seeing that way of governance as the normal things. As young children growing in that regime, the form of governance was just normal.
They make us believe as Mobutu was a half god. All the offices and city had his picture and statuette on the main road. It was normal to praise him before the start of all the services and all school. That form of governance was just the way of life.
We were celebrating as normal his birthday and his mother's death date as public holiday. We were used to pray Jesus and pray him too. They were gospel songs for the church and songs for Mobutu Sese Seko.
Who didn't dance for Mobutu? All Mobutu did and said was always right. We were born when there was only one political party called MPR. Mouvement Populaire de la Revolution. Popular Revolution Movement.
This party was on top of everything.
Some of the songs were like: "Nga nakoki komela ata poison po na Mobutu." meaning "I can even drink poison for my love for Mobutu."
"Mobutu wamilele." meaning "Mobutu the eternal."
"Lokuta Munene. Oyo akanisaka MPR na Mobutu Akokufa." meaning "It is a big lie if you think Mobutu and MPR will die."
We were used when even hearing the information. It used to always start by the revolutionaries songs and generic where Mobutu talked. Then the information will start with Mobutu's news. The praises on Mobutu. No one could even criticize him. Then the other news. If for example a big news in the world could have happen that time even Tsunami where many thousand people dies or the Sept 11 disaster means nothing and less important that a one man knew first were Mobutu and his families news: "The president of the republic the genial Mobutu Sese Seko met his cousin or friend today...The wife of the president Mama Bobila Dawa has visited a market today."
My mother was journalist and producer at ORTNZ. Office Radio and Television National of Congo. They were no private station only the government station in all the provinces. She was not a politician but she used to do women programs. She used to write the programs then before being broadcasted. The intelligence service used to check them. They make sure that all the talk was not against Mobutu and the government.
Everything from newspaper, songs, and products were also examined.
The same were applied even to the church. I remembered that the Jehovah witnesses were banned in Zaire for some time because they were not respecting the country's rules.
No election ever took place in Congo. After 7 years Mobutu could buy a international legitimacy in organizing the elections. I was too young when I witness in 1987 the election. There were two voting card. The green one for Mobutu and the red one for chaos. Only one candidate. Before even all the voting bulletin reach the counting station. They announced how Mobutu won the election with 99,99 percent and many nation congratulated him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART TWO: THE CHANGE OF TIME
Please change Tshimpuki name to Kabasele. Tshimpuki still in Katanga.
A lot of things happen in 1990. The wall of Berlin fails. The communism was dying and the cold war was over and many dictators were loosing international support because the cold war was over. There was no need to support them.
In April 1990, Mobutu announced the multi parties.
It then we started hearing about what was democracy while things didn't changed much in Congo.
The started another era. The many political parties that erupted were tribal support. People used to often support people from the same tribes.
Diego Cao reached the land in 1483.
Congo went to many troubles even before. First was the slavery that started in 1500 and just ended in late 1800.
In 1970 the Belgium King Leopold of Belgium hired explorer Henry Morton Stanley to set up his personal colony called Congo Free State.
After an inhuman atrocity that killed 15 millions people. The Belgium government took the colony in 1908.
Congo was 80 times bigger than Belgium with a size of 2345 000 square Kilometers make it the third largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria.
60 % of the land is covered by the Congo River basin. It drain in the Ocean Atlantic 3,6 million square meters. It is the second after Amazon. The river has 4,667 kilometers long. The main river going into Congo River are Aruwini, Lomami, Lwalaba, Ubangi, Kasai river...
Congo was home to many animals and herbal species making it one of the richest countries in Flore. Most of the people were still in touch with the nature 7 out of 10 people lives in rural areas with thousand of villages ranging to dozen of people to hundred peoples sometime thousand people. There are hundred of thousands of villages.
Despite 96 % of people unemployed Congo many people are self employed. Congo has many mineral resources and reserve: Copper, diamond, gold, Cobalt,...
In 1960, Congo gained independence from Belgium and Kasavubu was elected president in a conference while the popular charismatic Patrice Lumumba was elected premier minister but was unpopular among the Belgians and the American, he was a pro Russian. He was assassinated in 1961.
Then come many tribal wars until Moise Tshombe was elected premier minister but shortly was outset by Mobutu Sese Seko in 1965.
Then come began the reign of Mobutu.
He changed the name of the country to Zaire in 1971.
Congo has about 250 ethnic group and speaking about 700 dialects. But they are 4 main spoken languages: Lingala and Kikongo mostly in the west and North West of the country. Kasai or Tshiluba in the central part and the East they speak Swahili.
With the multi partism announced, people told that it will be the end of suffering and the birth of a better life but there was more to come.
It happen that Katanga the province where I was born. Was rich in mineral and the company that was exploiting the mine was called Gecamines: General cariere and the mines. Gecamines exploited more the cobalt and the copper.
It was the biggest company in Congo at that time 80% of the income of the country was generated by Gecamines.
The Belgians has recruited many people to come and work for that company. With the rail way leading to Kasai. It makes easier for the people from the neighboring province to come and work in the mines. All the biggest town in Katanga or Shaba were build by the mining company. They were also people from Rwanda two who used to work in that company. Because of the better infrastructure too many people from Kasai immigrated to Shaba. And after many generation people from Kasai were counted in millions in Shaba but mainly living in the urban area.
With all the new party taking places. The oldest opposition party apparently formed in 1980 but couldn't operate because of the dictatorship was called UDPS Union democratic of Progress Social formed by the first Congolese lawyer called Tshiseki Wa Mulumba. It happen that Tshisekedi was originally from Kasai.
Then a new coalition of Katangese party took place. It was formed by Nguz was Karl bond the national president and Gabriel Kyungu was Ku Mwanza the regional president. They political party was called UFERI. Union of federal and Independent. Then was the former unique party MPR that was still holding power in Congo. And many people from Mobutu ethnic group, Bagwandi supported him. They were mainly in the north east of the country. Those were the tree biggest political parties after the introduction of multi party. Beside that they were about 400 small parties.
It was great things that after the multi partism people could wear ties and few women could were trousers. Before it was banned to do so. Because when Mobutu should talk to the population it used to be a national holiday. And the day Mobutu gave the go ahead of multi parti it was a national holiday. I remember walking on street from the petit seminary in Manono seeing people chanting on street some wearing they ties that they hided for decade in they bags.
Mobutu wasn't popular as long I lived. People were just in fear for being killed or tortured.
They were many secret service and personnel who used to report people who were trying to talk against him. The biggest crime was not killing any body but it was opposing to his government.
Many people died unnoticed for opposing to the government. With plenty of undercover reporter in the society, it was very difficult to show the unhappiness. People used to cry and express in they heart they unhappiness.
They were even two kind of army. The DSP. Presidential Special Division and the normal army. The presidential division was composed by Mobutu trusty. People from his tribe and friends. They were the one who were well equipped and well paid. Those were protecting the president and the institutions.
Some a gathering of more than tree people was forbidden. The government was scared that once people meet together they may come with plan to bring a revolution in a country were the majority of people were unhappy.
Then come the normal army. Mal equipped and together with the civil servant they used to wait for months without getting their money. And they started too stealing and taking things of people. We were living in a period were people used to run away from the man in uniform because they won't save you when you are in trouble but they will take everything you have.
Everything was for sell from the identity book to a syringe needle in the hospital. The public servant unpaid for many month relied most of selling the document: ID, birth certificate, driving license, passport,...The teacher were one of the most neglected people. They started selling max too. Corruption become normal as a way of life and money buy you everything. Everything was for sell and everybody were businessmen. Few school were still good, they were church school because they were supported by international donor. A man can murder and acquitted the next day with money.
In public hospital the unpaid doctors and nurses will sell you everything. From a needle to the hospital bed. Nothing was for free. The body of the decease who owed the hospital money was kept in captivity and realize once the family has finished paying the money.
To even get hired in a certain company didn't matter how clever you were but it depended of the money that you have to bribe to be hired and also depended of the connection. The bosses will hire someone who has given him money and the same time someone may be related too, or someone of the same tribe region or a friend. Strange people who used to look for money in trying to work. Had to pay first. For women, it was even worse because some used to sleep with professor at university to pass and once they have completed they study they may sleep with the boss to be hired. Chance for beautiful women to succeed were much high. It was mixture of corruption and immorality. Money can buy you success not hard work. Money can buy you more money. Money can buy you even justice and respect.
While talking about the change in the country seating with our superior priests at petit seminary, Saint John Baptist in Manono all the priest were saying that it is not democracy that we are witnessing. One priest said: "Mobutu have given people a goat but holding the rope."
They talked about democracy while all the bank notes had still having the picture of Mobutu. In an era were inflation was at 12 000%. You go in the morning to buy a bread in a shop find that the price has doubled. You return home to fetch more money find that the price has raised again. People were walking with money in bags rather than wallet. We saw the notes of 50 000 Zaire. The name of money was Zaire too. To note of 5 millions Zaire in less than two years.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART TREE: THE BATTLE (FIGHT) OF ELEPHANTS.
The popular African proverb says that when the elephants are fight it is herbs and trees that suffer. When those giant creature fight, they destroy all the plants around even if they were unhurt. When politician are fighting, innocent people dies.
Mobutu who had many advisors. Wanted to gain popularity in forming a coalition with one of the popular man or party. After many tries with Tshisekedi of UDPS and fail. He find a new coalition with UFERI of Gabriel Kyungu who was even nicknamed in Katanga Mandela and Nguz Karl Bond.
Nguz become the government premier minister while Kyungu become the head of state in Katanga called governor.
In 1992, my mother then wrote to me saying that she was taken off the radio and television and was working only behind the scene. In Katanga they decided to take off air, all the people origin of Kasai, the neighboring province.
I felt the pain my mother was going through. She loved the microphone. She turns down many offers to work in better companies with a good income for the love of the microphone.
Shortly, we started hearing unbelievable meeting and incitation broadcast in radio, television and newspapers. The governor Kyungu who was very popular in his native province Katanga was saying: "Let rub Kasaien with oil, put all the Kasai on the rail way and put oil in the railway and push them back to Kasai. Let them take their beautiful house on the railway back to Kasai."
In a continent were there are many proverbs, at the start we didn�t know what the politician who supposed to protect people meant.
Then the radio station and television started the propaganda of hatress. People of Kasai were called Bilulu or Bikumbala or it means insects.
They started saying that people of Kasai who were about a million in the total population of 5 millions in Katanga and mostly lived in big towns of the province.
The crime of people of Kasai was. First, the supported Tshiseki who refused to work with Mobutu because they were from the same tribe.
Secondly, those people who come in high number had the best position in Katanga. They were apparently more successful in Katanga. Many people of Kasai who left their provinces to come and work in Katanga where the infrastructure was much better and the same time some had run away from the witchcraft in Kasai. Kasai was not only known for it diamond but also for witchcraft.
I remember that the rector of petit seminary Saint Jean Baptist was telling us not to listen to the call of politician. He was saying: "Even if Tshisekedi become the head of state not all the Kasai will benefit. If we chasse people from Kasai, not everybody in Katanga will inherit they properties and position just a minority of people."
Slowly the haters started. It started by insulting people of Kasai from schools, to some churches and work. People who lived together for many years and many were neighbours saw they relationship terminated overnight. And some who were married started divorcing.
Manono unfortunately had very few people from Kasai. It was a small town of about 60 000 people. It was one of the luckiest small towns to Congo to have had electricity.
Manono was build by the mining company called Zaire Etain. They used to extract the tin. Then as the years go pass. The company was dying. The company that had about 5 000 people saw a total retrenchment and only about 500 were still active. Mostly trying to maintain the infrastructure: water, electricity. Even if we were seeing the tin every where because the city was built on the tins money. There was no problem to produce the tins but with all the economic changes and the investor having run away from the country under the dictatorship. There was no more money.
The city inherited the electricity. The unclean runned water. The many building that Zaire etain was not more using.
I can say that Manono had few people from Kasai. The principal of our city, the veterinarian, my uncle the gynecologic and another daughter called Ilunga, the radiographer of the hospital, another woman Samba who was married in Manono and many who left the city after the Zaire Etain failed.
In total less than 20 Kasai families where in Manono. Everybody knew people from Kasai, by names and look. As long I remember those family has loved so much the small city. It was they home and many has forgotten they origin.
I must be honest that not all the Katangese has listen to what they leader were saying. Some refused to accept the politician's call but they were not able to stop the hatred. They had no access to the media or had no army to fight back.
But the majority of the population supported the hate�s call. It was viewed as the only way to get ride of poverty. Many villagers dreamed about the better future and as patriotic the young villagers dreamed about taking all the opportunity that people of Kasai will leave. The big churches were not interested in politic but they were very quiet. But many small sects and churches started spreading the gospel time in teaching hatred: "Our Mandela Kyungu has said to chasse the Bilulu."
Shortly I received a urgent message from my family who was based in Lubumbashi urging me and my uncle Kabasele to return to Lubumbashi as soon as possible. She insisted saying it was better to leave the rural area were they were less people from Kasai to big town where there was a large number of people of Kasai. It was very difficult to survive in the area where they were very few people from Kasai.
My uncle Kabasele who really loved the city of Manono rejected that call. Never that his origin and tribe may be a condemnation. Me too I rejected a call. I had a dream to be a priest and I was on the way. On top of that I was doing the last years at petit seminary. The matrix exams where just few months away. We didn�t see any danger living with people who loved us and we loved too.
I never knew the province of Kasai. I was often proud saying: "I am a Katangese that my ancestors are originated from Kasai."
Kasai was just a part of history. The Bantu (black people) people has emigrated from many years. From series of immigration the Sahara to the central part of the continent to the South, East and West of the continent.
It wasn't longer that we heard that in Likasi one of the big cities of Katanga that people from Kasai and Katanga has clashed. There was a huge casualty from both sides.
Then come a pro governmental militia of UFERI called JUFERI. Jeunesse Union Federal Republican and Independent. Jeunesse means Youth. In the ethnic fight the mal equipped army stayed neutral and some time overpowered by the militiamen who was sponsor by the government.
They were able to be transported in town to chasse people from Kasai. What was painful is to realize that you were unwanted in the land that you loved so much. To realize that your ancestors origin was the cause of the misery. To realize that the non politician were being persecuted. Above all his to realize that you were foreigner even in your own country.
The Red Cross organization started helping hundred of thousand of people of Kasai who were forced overnight to leave all their belonging and become a refugee in a short space at the train station in Likasi.
I thought that many people were Christian and supported no violence but at every level of society it was hatress. People who used to laugh, eat with you become enemies. Listening to the radio and television become a punishment hearing how you are insulted and chased.
Gecamines the biggest mining company that had many Kasai has seen the production fall. Most of employee stopped working. People from Kasai started crying alone left alone by the government who supposed to protect them.
Then in Manono a city that was quiet peaceful. Things changed. We could hear the JUFERI militia singing all the warrior song such us: "Tanda ya pelwa mudilo."
The land has caught fire. It was thousand of people singing to chasse about only 10 Kasai families. It wasn't longer that all the Kasai left Manono. They went to Kasai via the road. Some went to big city to catch the railway. My sad feeling, I don't know if they make it. As thousand of villages in Katanga they were stopping car and look for people from Kasai.
It was only me who thought I safe in the petit seminary and my uncle's family. My uncle had a wife, his sister in law and two small children.
He loved so much the city. Never been interested in the politic. His love was the people of Manono and his work.
Kabasele's wife was a principal of the sewing school in Manono. Because of the political instability. She took all the school machines and hide into his big house with her tree own machines.
I saw the warrior with all sort of weapon. The self made gun called Calibre 12, the panga (traditional fighting stick), big knifes, machete, axes.
Just a month before the matrix exams. I had the warrior songs from mathematic afternoon extra class. I knew that the land was on fire as they were singing. While rushing to see my uncle was OK.
I could see hundred of people on the way with machines, clothes and uncle's furniture. I knew that something bad has happen to my uncle's family.
At that moment instead of fearing death. I wasn't not scared to die. I think I was just a normal body reaction when you are in a danger.
I arrived at his home find only papers on the grounds. Everything was gone and
The leadership of the militia was just people who were close too and knew it. The leader of the militia was just my chemistry teachers. Many teachers joined the militia. Even some sect and independent church leader who preached peace joined too the death squad organization.
The militia has just attacked the man who loved the city and refused to leave. They took his wife and sister in law wanting to rape them and probably killed them. Kabasele's wife made thing worse when the leader of UFERI in Manono once wanted her to cheat with her and she refused.
The opportunity has just arrived to get ride of her. But something went wrong. As hundred of thousand of people were in that group. The plan was just jeopardize.
Some people in Katanga were against the politician's call but had no power to stop the violence and one of them was the intelligent service chief of Manono called Ngoy. Ngoy took the risk to go and save my uncle's wife and sister in law. Kabasele's neighbour all took my uncle two children to hide.
It was a life time risk all those people who stand against the majority wish.
Then Ngoy after saving the two women follow another group of warrior who took Kabasele to put decapitated at the mountain. The same feeling I had, him too had. He was no more scared of death. He accepted to be killed without any resistance.
Ngoy had to argue with his tribal brother: "Please do not kill this one."
"We have the instruction of our Mandela Gabriel to kill this Bilulu."
The all process was just well organized that they even heard a letter urging the militia to kill and chasse the Bilulu(insect). Before taking Kabasele they even showed him that official authorization.
After a dispute they decided to listen to they brother Katangese just for a moment. Ngoy after saving Kabasele family didn't know what to do with them. It was the catholic priest of the petit seminary near by who decided to hide this family.
The priest were hiding my uncle Kabasele and me. The remaining unwanted people in the city. Even the transport from Manono to Lubumbashi was not that regular. The timing of they departure wasn't good immediately.
The road was more dangerous as the villagers were stopping the car and looking for the unwanted people. No airplane operating in that part of the world. Manono had an airplane but because of the poverty and many people couldn't afford the airplane ticket. The airplane company couldn't operate in a land were they could work on loss. They keep operating only in the big city.
The all thing was very organized that when late at night, the UFERI chief of Manono who come to visit as at seminary heard that most of the sewing machines belonged to the sewing school not to Kabasele.
They send a message in the Manono that the machines be returned.
I could hear in a city that had no radio station except capture the radio broadcasting from Lubumbashi. Member of the ruling party screaming: "Let return the sewing machines. It belong to our own community, it belong to our daughters."
In less than an hour all the sewing machines were returned not other belonging.
The priests took the risk to take my uncle who wasn�t a catholic follower. He never goes to the Catholic Church.
Thank God after two weeks staying with my uncle family. They got a transport to Lubumbashi and they traveled safely.
I was the only remaining Kasai in Manono waiting for the matrix examination.
I could hear the xenophobic every where. People saying: "Even Kabasele has to go. Our wives will give birth. In the ancestor's period they were no gynecologic and our parents give birth to us."
Not forgetting numerous insults I could hear here and there. Ngoy was so carrying and concern of my life that he even gave two soldiers body guard to help me to write the matrix exam that lasted 3 days.
After writing my matrix exams. I had no right to remain in Manono.
I remember the supporting priests telling me the day before I live Manono: "We are not supporting this fight but our hands are tied. They are coming to look for you we don't know when."
The catholic priests were right. A day before, while seating with my colleagues. A group of militiamen come to kill me.
They were not that big but I had no time to count they number. They were may be 50 people armed with the calibre 12, axes, machetes and knife.
They arrived singing the warriors songs. At some stage I wanted to run away but my beloved colleague hold him. They told me that if I had to try to run, I will be easily outnumbered and killed. Then come a courageous priest Luhamba who wore his catholic dress and a chaplet on his hand who confronted them. He told them: "Before you kill Dicho Disashi. You have to kill me first."
At that time the fear of death was gone. There is nothing else I could have done to preserve my life. Everything to me started happening as in a movie and time to time I was loosing conscience. I saw myself killed like a goat, I saw my self my body being decapitated. I imagine how my friend, family and mother will cry after hearing the news. I was sure that my Mom won�t support the pain I went through. I saw some of my friends who has turned against me celebrating after I am gone. The price we paid was for loving that part of the land.
They were not sent to kill Katanguese. I remembered that after a fears exchange of words. They left very disappointed and promised to return.
Manono listener to they leader call especially Kyungu was originated from a village called Ankoro that was under Manono administration. Not far away from Manono.
Traveling too Lubumbashi were they was a large number of Kasaien wasn't that easy. They could have identified me from my skin coulour. I remember that I was thinking of painting my body with black coal hoping not to be captured. But I realized that they could even see easily my tricks.
Traveling to Lubumbashi was just another big battle. Praying that they don't identify me in the car if the villagers stop the truck. I took the car not knowing if I will reach the destination. After a challenging trip I reached Lubumbashi.
We were unifying for sometime before making our next moves. I felt my last days in that province like living in hell where there is eternal fire but people do not burn.
I could hear on the radio and television. Kyungu congratulating the militiamen for chasing the Kasaien in the rural area but begged them for more: "We have chased the Bilulu in our bedrooms (rural area) now let chasse them in the living room (big cities)."
It looks like people from town were very slow to accept they leaders call. So the next moves were to give the militiamen most of them based in the villages free transports to town so they may attack of the Kasaien.
The premier minister of that time Nguz Karl bond could come time to time to Katanga to encourage the hatred and encouraging people to divide themselves and chasse from Katanga all the Kasaien for being from the same tribe of the man who was giving Mobutu a tuff time opposition's leader Tshisekedi. The country's premier minister who supposed to unite the people supported division.
The result was that after the big town of Likasi and Kolwezi trouble started. They started chasing people there while many Kasaien started living voluntary too in others towns of Katanga.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER FOUR: THE VILAIN AND HERO
It was at the Friday family dinner that the family has to decide they future in the trouble province. It was a real union as all the uncles were there, my mother and even the grand father called also Disashi.
I remember the grand father started by saying: "No where to run."
We were all quiet listening to the chief of the family. Despite many foods that were cooked that day, no one had that appetite to eat. Each Friday was always a good Friday because we could all meet. And the family dinner was like a small party. We could meet with cousins and uncle to solve family�s matters and to interact together but this Friday was different. It was like a good bye Friday.
There were more worry about many Swahili names that we had. We inherited from the Arab ancestor. His name was called Disashi.
When the world declared the end of slavery. They were new trader who kept doing that practices even after the abolition of slavery in the late 1800's. The Arab slave traders raided Africa from East. And they biggest market was in Zanzibar. Traders used to sell human booty from other buyers from Persia, Madagascar and various sultanates and principalities of the Arabian peninsula.
Most of the traders were largely from the Swahili spreading Africans from mainly Kenya and Tanzania. Many had adopted dress and Islam, but only few some of them were of the Arab descent.
The slavery that began in 1500. Many traders used to ship the slave from the kingdom Kongo across the Atlantic. Disashi was working with one of the last slave trader called Tipo Tipo his real name was Hamed Bin Muhammed el Murjebi the Belgians used to call him Tippu Tip. They techniques was talking to the village chiefs and asking for strong man and woman for special training into they land. Some time creating friendship with the chief of villages in offering them things like: sweet, mirror, some western clothes. Many chief were not refusing their friendship.
After many years, the villages chief realized that all the people taken were not returning. So many started refusing the Arab demand.
Then Tipo Tipo and his man decided to take now by force human. They used to go in the night and burned the village's house who all had Thatcher roof. When the villagers used to run some of them were captured and some were caught on they way to the farming...They were forced to march to the coast, their necks locked into wooden yokes. They were given very less food because the caravans usually traveled in the dry season and they were often drinking only water.
They Arab trader went even up to Kasai because the Kasaien slave were sold at a good price. They were strong naturally. They were not like most of the slave in the East who were slim and taller like the Masai tribe but the Arab found in the people of the center of Congo many tall and big human.
It was 1888, Stanley who worked for the Belgian king Leopold who organized a force called Public force in the native language Kibalanga. After a fierce fight with the Arab traders who were also well equipped, the Kibalanga or public force won the battle and many of the Arabs were on the run.
Then Disashi decided to take refuge in Kasai in the actual next to Mbuji Mayi.
He married a local woman called Mujinga. Then become a polygamous marrying other's wife. To keep also his story his started naming some of his children to his names. As a Swahili speaking he names many of his children with Swahili names in the land where they speak Kasai.
It wasn't over. He then taught many villagers to make they own guns and fight the colonial who were coming. The Belgian met a warrior with advance fighting tool. They haven't met this kind of resistance. They even had they own canon. A gun with many mixtures inside plus peace of bottle and gun powder that makes a strange noise giving the coming colonist a tuff time. They crossed the river Lubilanji and settle the other side starting exploiting diamond.
It believed that it is Disashi who make the Kasaien stubborn. Kasai becomes a source of political resistance even today. The colonist Belgians struggle even to build anything. And by the mid of the 1900 century Kasai infrastructure was not the best. Disashi knew very well the colonist and taught to the villager of Tshilenge how to defeat them. They defeated him once and he wasn't prepared to be defeated twice.
He was viewed as one of the hero in Tshilenge and Mbuji Mayi in Kasai.
Then the colonist managed to build a railway into the South of Katanga and relying to Kasai. And they recruited some people from Kasai to come and work in the mines in Katanga. And most of the mines city becomes big cities. It is how Kasaien after many generations were many in Katangese big towns.
Then in around 1960. The grand father decided to settle in Kananga. In a period where there were numerous tribal fights he returned to Mbuji Mayi. But another fight broke. It was my grand father who was called too Disashi with his neighbours.
They wanted him to pay for the Arab Disashi of having sold other people in slavery.
He then decided to go in a new land Katanga. After working in Kolwezi as an ambulance driver he retired in Lubumbashi instead of retiring in his home land. He was always scared of the revenge. He wasn't even that close to the Arab Disashi who was a grand father to him.
The name of Disashi becomes a condemnation too.
It is why the grand father at the family dinner table cried: "No where to run."
For many years he was not thinking of returning to Kasai. No way to run not only for the Disashi family but for many people who has chosen Katanga as they homeland.
I saw in Kasai first the poor infrastructure. A city called the world capital of diamond and witchcraft had no road, no running water, and no electricity while the production of diamond rise everyday.
The Kasai province wasn't that prepares to receive suddenly hundred of thousand of peoples. Many people who were engineer, doctors, rich and poor in Katanga turn to begging in the street. Many has lived for generation in Katanga and even forgotten they village of origin. Thousand of people from Katanga died on they way to they province from many diseases.
Some people could even jokes: 'You have run away from witchcraft now you are back and we will eat you well.'
For the Disashi family and many people. They decided to return and die in they ancestor's land.
They hope of many Kasaien was to build their home land and take advantage of the mineral resources: diamond.
