A Teenager in the Chad Civil War
A Memoir of Survival, 1982–1986
Ésaïe
Toïngar
ISBN
978-0-7864-2403-0
9 photos, maps, index
234pp.
softcover
2006
Available for immediate shipment
Description
Recent years have found much of Africa to be a land of turmoil and revolution. Distress in the Sudan and countries such as Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Liberia have made Africa the site of a variety of atrocities from displacement to torture to genocide. The country of Chad, which theoretically gained its independence from France in 1960, is one of many that have been fighting a series of particularly brutal wars, internal and external. In 1982, Hissene Habré wrested power from Chad’s UN–recognized government, igniting a vicious civil war. Thousands of innocent citizens were kidnapped, tortured and killed to quash political unrest.
Covering 1982 to 1986, this memoir tells the story of Ésaïe Toïngar, a native of southern Chad and miraculous survivor of Chad’s darkest days, many of which came during different Septembers. This work contains Toïngar’s first-hand description of growing up, coming of age and waging the ultimate struggle for survival in the war-torn country. It gives a graphic account of what transpired in Chad during the rule of Habre and the ways in which the author managed to survive, fleeing his home village and seeking safety among the CODOs, a rebel movement of the south. Derived primarily from Toïngar’s memories, this work also utilizes information garnered from other first-hand testimonials and a 1991 documentary filmed by post–Habré Chad Television. Photographs from the author’s collection are included.
About the Author
Electrical information engineer Ésaïe Toïngar lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
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Table of Contents & Excerpts
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