Based on Frantz Fanon’s landmark 1961 book, The Wretched of the Earth, Concerning Violence explores the mechanisms of decolonisation. It is a bold and fresh visual narrative on Africa, told through newly discovered archive material of the struggle for liberation from colonial rule in the late ‘60s and ‘70s.

Written over 50 years ago, Fanon’s book is still a major tool for understanding and illuminating neocolonialism today. This continued relevance inspired director Göran Hugo Olsson to visualise the nationalistic struggle for self-determination in an age when European colonial powers began to retreat from the last outposts of their faded empires.

Olsson‘s unique and artful film travels through Zimbabwe, Guinea, Mozambique, Congo, and South Africa. The rich archive material shows the young Robert Mugabe talking about redistribution of land; visits Portuguese platoons in Mozambique caught in the fog of a jungle war with guerrillas who have nothing to lose; and shows searing interviews with white settlers.

Directed by Göran Hugo Olsson
Duration: 85′
Year: 2014

This screening is in partnership with Dogwoof

On Monday 14 July, the Frontline Club hosted a screening of Seeds of Hope, a documentary which focuses on the effect of rape in Eastern Congo, where it has become a widely used weapon of war. The film centres around one woman, Masika, who is herself a victim of rape, and her determination to provide a centre for recovery and sanctuary for other women who have been raped, as well as taking in many children who have either been orphaned or rejected due to their violent origins.

Director Fiona Lloyd-Davies speaking at the Frontline Club.

The film opens with a shocking statistic: 48 women are raped every hour. Seeds of Hope attempts to humanise this figure by documenting the lives of women living in Masika’s centre. The centre is a shelter for victims and, over time, has managed to develop livelihoods for the women who live there, in the forms of farming and sewing.

The film reveals how endemic rape has become in the Democratic Republic of Congo and during conversations with members of the military explains not only how they use rape as a weapon, but also how it has become an almost standard part of military practice.

Director Fiona Lloyd-Davies described how, as a filmmaker who has covered different wars, the use of rape in conflicts was not new. She was, however, shocked by “the frequency, the violence, the level of violence against women” when she visited the region. She described how, when she first visited in 2001, rape was frequent, but did not seem to have a structure or real pattern, and was still random. By the time of a next visit in 2005, she was appalled by the accounts she heard:

“Very organised rape camps. . . . It seemed to have shifted and become much more organised, . . . they talked about having name calls . . . and it seems that many girls get taken and they’re led into the forest for several weeks to quite remote areas where the militias have got their camps, and they’re kept there until they escape.”

Lloyd-Davies explained to the audience that many soldiers had been arrested and put on trial in November 2013 in Minova for the charge of rape. Out of the 40 that were originally charged, one soldier died before the trial and five never appeared in court as they were still able to work, and were deployed with their units. The final verdict took place in May 2014, where only two soldiers were found guilty of rape as a war crime. She described this lack of justice as “virtual impunity”. As the risk of punishment is so low, there is no deterrent for soldiers to stop committing these crimes:

“If they know that they (may have) done it before, they may not have; they may have seen, or heard of friends do it before [or] their colleagues in the army, and with so little justice and with this virtual impunity, there is a sense . . . that they can get away with it.”

One audience member enquired after the director’s personal safety while making this film; as a low budget documentary the crew was very small, and she was filming in a dangerous and violent area. Lloyd-Davies explained that 2011, when she did most of her filming with Masika in Minova, was a “very quiet time”, and that she was staying at a priest’s house. She then told the audience that she had been attacked in Minova, but went on to say that she has been back to Minova since then, and intends to go back again.

She also discussed how the situation is improving in terms of the stigma attached to rape and the treatment of rape victims. The film discusses how many of the women were rejected by their families after they were raped, which is the reason that many of them found their way to Masika’s centre. One of the questions from the audience was whether any improvements or developments have been made, and Lloyd-Davies described the work that many NGOs are carrying out within villages, working with village elders, to address the stigma and encourage communities to view rape victims differently, which has meant that more rape victims have been able to come forward and receive the help that they need.

Information on future screenings of Seeds of Hope can be found on the film’s website here.

In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Masika Katsuva, herself the victim of multiple rapes, has rescued some 6,000 women and children. Her centre provides medical and psychological help, and she also works with the women to cultivate maize and bean crops to have an independent life.

Filmmaker Fiona Lloyd-Davies follows Katsuva and the centre’s inhabitants, as they reshape their lives to build a new future. The film also speaks with the perpetrators, among them soldiers from the Congolese army, who give extraordinarily open testimony as to why they rape and their attitudes toward their horrific acts.

Directed by Fiona Lloyd-Davies
Duration: 71′
Year: 2013

“They are like my family.”

“They’re just fucking monkeys.”

On Thursday 15 May 2014, the Frontline Club screened Virunga, a masterful documentary that portrays both the highest of human empathy, and lowest of murderous greed in eastern DR Congo.

Present for the Q&A were director Orlando von Einsiedel, producer Joanna Natasegara and investigative journalist Melanie Gouby, who is featured in the film.

From left: Melanie Gouby, Joanna Natasegara, Orlando von Einsiedel. Photo credit: George Symonds

The audience voiced rave reviews:

“It is a beautiful film, and the stars are the gorillas”
“Brilliant film, really engaging”
“Amazing and powerful”
“Incredible film”

Director von Einsiedel began with how the two year project started:

“I’ve been interested in trying to tell a positive, different story from eastern Congo. One that wasn’t all about the many negative things that we mostly hear about the place.

 

“Between 2008 and 2012, there’d been a period of relative stability, and I learned about the really inspiring work of the rangers of Virunga National Park. In their story I saw a metaphor for the wider rebirth of the region.

 

“That the park was implementing various different development projects, tourism was starting to grow again . . . I’d only been on the ground maybe three weeks and this new civil war started.

 

“Around the same sort of time I learned about the park’s concerns about the illegal oil exploration by SOCO International. I ended up staying because I was enthralled about the rangers and their work.”

Orlando von Einsiedel, Director

Two representatives of SOCO International were allegedly present at the screening. The company had issued a PR statement in response to what it “believes to be groundless allegations” recorded in the film.

An audience member from BBC Panorama asked how the filmmakers responded to SOCO’s comments.

“It’s quite simple,” replied von Einsiedel:

“We wouldn’t be sitting up here if we didn’t stand by the journalism and the work that we’ve done.

 

“In terms of SOCO International, what they’re doing in Virunga National Park is illegal. . . . It’s illegal under Congolese national law, it’s illegal under international law, and on top of that, over the years we were there, we have serious concerns about a lack of oversight that this company has. To do with corruption and links to armed groups.”

Excellent night at the @frontlineclub– a sneak preview of the brave @virungamovie and Q&A w/ @jojonata & team pic.twitter.com/foIhGyRATh

— Kate Hardie-Buckley (@katehbuckley) May 15, 2014

Natasegara elaborated on SOCO’s legal position:

“There’s no suggestion that there’s any oil under Virunga National Park. That’s the first misnomer that SOCO International put out. There is no proof that there’s any oil under this world heritage site. . . . What they are doing is illegal, as Orlando said.

 

“What they failed to recognise is that it’s illegal at the highest level of law. It’s enshrined in the constitution that a world heritage site cannot be exploited in this way for oil exploration, ever. So all the permits they would like to suggest they have are all null and void. . . .

 

“So in terms of whether we have oil or not, what we have is a bird in the hand, and a bird that we don’t know exists. The bird in the hand is Virunga National Park, a world heritage site which is there for all of us; and is in fact building a £150 million development programme which is genuinely helping the local communities . . . .”

Jonna Natasegara, Producer

“What power do we have to act against these groups, these immoral positions?” asked a member of the audience.

“There’s a moral position and there’s a legal position,” posited Natasegara:

“SOCO International is a British company, so talk to your decision makers. . . . Talk to your own authorities, let them know how they feel about this issue. In terms of stages we have spent quite a long time building a campaign that goes alongside the film. You can follow that campaign on our official media and on our website.”

Gouby responded to a suggestion that if not SOCO, someone else would do the same thing:

“Total, the French oil company, has a similar concession north of the park, and they’ve promised they would not go into the park. So there is no evidence that any other company would do the same thing.”

Melanie Gouby, Journalist

“I thought the real heroes were the rangers,” said a member of the audience:

“I thought the contrast between the virulent racism of SOCO’s representatives against the brave and eloquent way the rangers spoke was extraordinary. I noticed that in SOCO’s rebuttal, they said nothing about the racism that was shown, that they should re-colonise the Congo.”

Another audience member offered SOCO the floor:

“If someone from SOCO is here who thinks we’ve been given the wrong impression, is there someone who’d like to correct that impression for us now?”

There was no one to respond.

Feel lucky to have seen such a powerful film & piece of journalism @virungamovie about @gorillacd at @frontlineclub #DRC #film #conservation

— Charlotte Minvielle (@Cha_Minvielle) May 15, 2014

The audience was full of praise for those involved in the protection of Virunga National Park and the local communities:

“How extraordinary the courage of everybody involved with film, particularly the Congolese, comes across in the film. And the amount of personal danger people put themselves into to bring across this message, and to congratulate and thank you for doing that.”

Asked about organisations that support the rangers, Natasegara said:

“You can donate directly to the park. The website is www.virunga.org/donate.

 

 

“They have a specific fund for the widows of those rangers. You can contribute directly to their livelihood. That would be a great thing to do.”

Went to the @frontlineclub this evening to see a preview of @virungamovie about @gorillacd such an incredible and inspiring documentary

— Elisabeth Phillips (@elisabeth_CiC) May 15, 2014

Von Einsiedel concluded with the optimism he had witnessed:

“There’s amazing optimism on the ground . . . that this place can be better, and the potential it has – that’s the reason the rangers of the park are out there every day, risking their lives. Because of that hope. Of what they believe the Virunga can do to the region.”

“It’s not going to Margate,” warned von Einsiedel as he encouraged everyone to visit the gorillas:

“The security situation has improved dramatically. So much so that gorilla tourism is open again. So you can all go and visit the gorillas, and you’d all be doing a massively good thing because that’s putting money into the local economy. I’d say go. It’s not going to Margate [laughs] but it’s safe enough to do it.”

For more information on future screenings, and how you can get involved:

Visit. virungamovie.com
Follow. @virungamovie
Like. facebook.com/virungamovie
Donate. virunga.org/donate

The coming year could be a window of opportunity for the international community to tackle the violence and lawlessness that has claimed more than 5 million lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the past 15 years.

The panel: Kassim Kayira, Noëlla Coursaris Musunka, Jean-Roger Kaseki, Patrick Smith, Ben Shepherd.
Photograph: Richard Nield

This is the hope of Ben Shepherd, one of the speakers at Congo Dreams: Hopes and prospects for the future, a Frontline Club event held at Conway Hall in London in association with the Royal African Society on 13 February.

May be a window of opportunity to tackle issues in DRC – Ben Shepherd. @idreamofcongo #frontlineclub — Richard Nield (@Rnield01) February 13, 2013

An estimated 5.4 million people have died as a result of the conflict in the Congo since 1998, according to a study by the International Rescue Committee. But there is a glimmer of hope that the situation may improve if the right action is taken.

“There may by a chance in 2013 and beyond for things to evolve differently,” said Shepherd, associate fellow of the Africa programme at Chatham House.

Fighting continues to plague much of eastern DRC as rebel factions, sometimes supported by neighbouring countries, fight for control of land that is rich in mineral deposits. The weakness of the Congolese government and its security apparatus has led to the proliferation of an ‘alphabet soup’ of armed groups in the region, said Shepherd.

There’s an alphabet soup of armed organisations in eastern #Congo – Ben Shepherd @idreamofcongo #frontlineclub @congoconnect — Richard Nield (@Rnield01) February 13, 2013

But support for M23, one of the main rebel movements, has dwindled, and the exposure in 2012 of Rwanda’s involvement in supporting the movement will make it more difficult for it to find support from neighbouring countries.

“It’s hard to see where the M23 will go,” said Shepherd. “It’s hard to see the potential for it to relaunch itself. Now that there has been an acknowledgement of the cross-border involvement of Rwanda it will be hard to put the genie back in the bottle, and make it difficult for other countries to do the same.”

“We have to stop this cycle. People are tired of the suffering, they are tired of the rape, they are tired of the lack of development.”

With more than 6 million people dead in DRC we have had enough – Noella Coursaris Musunka, @idreamofcongo #frontlineclub — Richard Nield (@Rnield01) February 13, 2013

In 2010, a senior UN official described the DRC as the “rape capital of the world”, and it is a problem that has not gone away. One of a series of photographs exhibited at Conway Hall featured the broken glasses of a woman who had been attacked for the work she does with rape victims in the country.

The photograph is part of an exhibition organised by Congo Connect, an NGO campaigning against human rights abuses in eastern Congo, entitled I Dream of Congo, which runs from 16-23 February.

Maj Honorine Mungole.
Detail of picture by Dominic Nahr/Magnum – Bukavu, South Kivu, 2009

Lack of leadership
The help of the international community is essential to improving the situation in the DRC and to stopping the culture of impunity in the country, said Jean-Roger Kaseki, a human rights campaigner in the UK and in the Congo:

“The pattern of letting people who are responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and even genocide go free is a recipe for more militias to be created in the eastern DRC. Without the international community it will be difficult to stabilise the Congo.”

Jean-Roger Kaseki, human rights campaigner.
Photograph: Richard Nield

“There is a full graveyard of initiatives to watch the border between the DRC and Rwanda,” said Shepherd. “But they have different ideas as to the level of robustness – whether they are expected to fight or not.”

According to Shepherd, there has also been a lack of international leadership:

“The Congo has suffered from not having a country that has been prepared to co-ordinate, to take responsibility to do the work. Most countries are too frightened of how difficult it is and that they might get burned.”

Resource curse
The DRC is also suffering from a resource curse. It is rich in minerals, including coltan, a metallic ore that produces metals used in electronic products such as mobile phones. But these resources are being exploited by international investors with little benefit to the local population.

“The money is there, it’s just going to the wrong hands,” said Kassim Kayira, journalist and commentator at BBC Africa.

Kassim Kayira, BBC Africa.
Photograph: Richard Nield

“It is not clear that there’s any transparency in the deals being done to give access to Congo’s resources,” said Patrick Smith, editor of Africa Confidential, who chaired the debate.

“There’s an irony that we’re talking about the Congo’s lack of resources while they’re being used to push up the share price of one of the biggest companies in the world.”

Patrick Smith, Africa Confidential.
Photograph: Richard Nield 

Irony that DRC lacks resources while they’re being used to boost Glencore share price – Patrick Smith. @idreamofcongo #frontlineclub— Richard Nield (@Rnield01) February 13, 2013

The panel called for international intervention to help to strengthen the army and security forces, to clamp down on militias, and to put help put in place a stronger investment framework in the country.

But in the end, the solution to Congo’s problems must come from within, said Musunka:

“We have had all these outside forces for 15 years and they have failed. The solution has to come from Congo. You cannot impose solutions from outside. We need to empower our people.”

Watch the event here:

The event on the 8 February at the Frontline Club was a screening of Justice for Sale, followed by a Q&A with Femke van Velzen, one half of a documentary duo – twin sisters who make up IF Productions. For Femke and Ilse, this is their third film about the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Q&A was moderated by Sandra Whipham of the BritDoc Foundation as Justice for Sale was part of the Good Pitch Europe in 2011.

The film exposes the less seen and more controversial side of the issue of sexual violence in the country, looking at breaches of justice for the perpetrators rather than the victims. The van Velzen sisters’ first two documentaries brought light to the widespread problem of sexual violence in the country, largely from the perspective of its victims.

The audience was interested to know how the film makers came to represent the other side of the story. Van Velzen answered:

“Journalists that go to the Congo write about the victims. But most of the time that is it and they move on. It takes a very long time to find the deeper layers. For us it was really valuable to stay there longer, to really get to the point of seeing it from different points of view. To make a film about a perpetrator was really interesting.”

Justice for Sale examines the corruption rife in Congo’s justice system through the narrative of one lawyer’s attempts to pick apart the case of a young man sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for rape.

“It is interesting how we came across this story. Since 2006 there was this new law so people could actually be convicted of rape, and in 2008 we got the opportunity to follow a military court case for a couple of days. This story stood out. We were not lawyers but I was convinced that on the basis of what was presented he should never be convicted.”

At first, the filmmakers were unsure how to use the footage and whether this case had been an exception or was was an example of what was happening on a more regular basis.

“We then organised two workshops where we showed it to different human rights lawyers and NGOs. They all responded that this is not just one case, it is happening on a larger scale. We then realised this is something we have to dive into”.

One of the most illuminating questions of the night asked how the lawyer – Claudine, who had originally campaigned for the law against rape in 2006 – felt about a film that picked holes in the progress made against sexual violence.

“For Claudine, sexual violence is a huge problem, but if you are dealing with the justice system you have to be clear about everything or it can really endanger the law. The purpose of the documentary is to open a discussion; to show the other side of the coin and that’s what makes the documentary interesting. The NGOs all reacted in very different ways. But some were relieved that they could now debate this side of the story.”

Visit IF Productions to find out more about the trilogy and to learn about the Mobile Cinema Foundation that Ilse and Femke van Velzen have launched as part of their multi-media outreach strategy that includes radio campaigns, soap operas and cartoons.

By Nicole Hunt

EU and Ukrainian officials meet in Kiev on Monday for the annual EU-Ukraine Summit, with rumours abound that President Viktor Yanukovych is planning to skip the meeting in favour of the EurAsEC summit taking place in Moscow on the same day. Yanukovych’s planned visit to Brussels in Octoberwas delayed after opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison on what the EU says are politically motivated charges.

The Gulf Cooperation Council holds its annual summit in Riyadh, the first formal meeting of leaders since the beginning of the Arab Spring last year. The meeting begins on the same day that the UN Security Council is scheduled to discuss sanctions against Iran and receive a briefing from Jamal Benomar, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Yemen.

Leaders from the Commonwealth of Independent States meet in Moscow on Tuesday to celebrate the organisation’s 20th anniversary. The CIS was formed out of the dissolution of the Soviet Union; the initial agreement was signed by Belarus, Russia and Ukraine on 8 December, 1991, while eight more former Soviet republics joined on 21 December.

In Tripoli, Tuesday marks the deadline issued by the government and the Tripoli Council for rogue, non-Tripoli based militias to disarm and leave the city. Despite the announcement of the deadline on 6 December, clashes between militias and security forces have continued unabated.

Pending the confirmation of election results by the Supreme Court of the Democratic Republic of Congo on 17 December, President Joseph Kabila is scheduled to be sworn in for a second term in Kinshasa. International observers have raised concerns about the validity of the country’s 28 November election.

The long-awaited verdict in the ‘Government I’ genocide trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is handed down on Wednesday in Arusha. Former Interior Minister Edouard Karemera and former President of the MRND political party Mathieu Ngirumpatse are accused of recruiting and arming the Interahamwe militia and disseminating Hutu Power propaganda.

The European Central Bank holds the first of two 36-month longer-term refinancing operations announced by ECB President Mario Draghi on 8 December as part of a series of measures to support bank lending and market activities. The LTRO comes on the same day that Italy releases Q3 GDP figures; the preliminary figures had been due in November, but were not released amid political turmoil.

Palestinian leaders meet in Cairo on Thursday, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas expected to chair the first meeting of what would be a unified Palestinian decision-making body in place until elections are held in May 2012. Members of the Palestinian National Council, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation’s executive boards and the directors-general of various Palestinian factions are scheduled to attend.

Amid weeks of protests against the recent parliamentary elections, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gives his annual state of the nation address in Moscow.

On Friday, the South Korean military is set to turn on the lights on three giant steel Christmas trees placed at points along the country’s border with North Korea. Pyongyang has reportedly called the trees a form of ‘psychological warfare’ and has threatened ‘unexpected consequences’ if the lighting goes ahead.

Activists in Russia have planned another mass protest against the 4 December elections on Saturday, after an estimated 50,000 people turned out for the 10 December demonstration, which was organised on Facebook. The tens of thousands already signed up to attend have clearly not been swayed by President Dmitry Medvedev’s pledge to investigate allegations of electoral fraud.

Sunday is, of course, Christmas Day. While millions worldwide will be focusing on egg nog, Christmas pudding and what Santa’s left under the tree, Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan will be addressing a rally in Karachi, where he is said to be launching a ‘revolutionary manifesto’ ahead of elections in 2013.

Sunday also marks the 20th anniversary of the resignation of Mikhail Gorbachev, who had been President of the Soviet Union from October 1988. Gorbachev’s resignation came a day before the USSR was formally dissolved on 26 December, 1991.

By Nicole Hunt

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors meets in Vienna on Monday, with Iran likely to be high on the agenda following last week’s report expressing increased concerns over ‘undisclosed nuclear related activities’ in the country.

Bouthaina Shaaban, political adviser to Syrian President Bashar al Assad, is in Moscow, where she is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and hold a press conference for international media. Shaaban was one of three Syrian officials slapped with sanctions by the US Treasury Department at the end of August.

The African National Congress is expected to wrap up disciplinary proceedings against controversial ANC youth leader Julius Malema on Tuesday, having recently moved the hearing from the ANC headquarters at Luthuli House to an undisclosed location in Johannesburg following violent protests last week. Malema is accused of bringing the ANC into disrepute and sowing divisions within ANC ranks after he encouraged the overthrow of Botswana’s government.

In Brussels, the OECD publishes its annual Education at a Glance report, analysing the education systems and performances in member states. For the first time, this year’s report also looks at education in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa.

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg hears a complaint on Wednesday brought by four people who say they were illegally deprived of their liberty without justification while they were held in a police ‘kettle’ during the 2001 May Day protests in London.

In New York, the UN Security Council holds a debate on drought-stricken Somalia, where security issues have compounded problems as aid struggles to get into the country and people struggle to get out.

Parliamentary elections take place in Denmark on Thursday. Recent polls say Helle Thorning-Schmidt could be the country’s next Prime Minister, as her opposition Social Democrat party looks poised to win the most seats.

A court in The Hague is due to rule on Apple’s application to ban sales of Samsung’s Galaxy phones. A temporary injunction banning sales and distribution throughout much of Europe was issued on 11 August, but is not due to come into effect until 13 October.

Following debates this week in several European parliaments on new powers for the European Financial Stability Fund, European finance ministers begin a two-day meeting on Friday.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague holds a confirmation of charges hearing for Callixte Mbarushimana, a former UN employee charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2009. Mbarushimana is alleged to have been the executive secretary of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and directly responsible for at least 32 deaths in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide while still employed by the UN, but has never been charged.

Libyan schools are scheduled to re-open on Saturday, with a brand new curriculum devoid of Gaddafi-era subjects such as the Green Book.

At the Dead Sea in Israel, photographer Spencer Turnick stages another mass nude photoshoot, hoping to bring awareness to the fact that the famously salty lake is drying up.

The week wraps up with state elections in Berlin, the sixth in Germany this year. The regional elections have generally proven disastrous for Angela Merkel’s CDU party, which has suffered losses country-wide to the Social Democrats, a trend that many expect to continue into the 2013 federal election.

By Oliver Franklin

“I thought it was a nightmare… a dream,” Leah Chishugi, survivor of the Rwandan genocide and author of A Long Way From Paradise, told a particularly sober crowd at yesterday’s Frontline event.

Stifling back emotion, Chishugi was describing the 6th April, 1994, a day she happened to be at Kigali airport. A day that she saw Rwandan President Habyarimana’s plane shot down above the runway, an act that sparked the genocide that claimed the lives of over 800,000 Rwandan Tutsis, and began a conflict that lives on today in the Eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It was impossible not to be moved as, questioned delicately by BBC News correspondent Razia Iqbal, she told the horrifying story of her survival and eventual escape.

“[I found] children sucking their mother’s breast when the mother was lying down, dead,” she said (she rescued those children and took them with her).

Leah – then just 17 and carrying her baby boy Jean-Luc – regularly faced extremely close brushes with death at the hands of the Interahamwe. She told of how she would smear herself with blood so that the militia would assume she was dead. “[I was] lying down with people – dead bodies – on top of me… I think I was there for about eight hours or more.

“When I collapsed, I knew I was gone… As far I was concerned, I was dead.”

It was the crying of Jean-Luc that awoke her beneath the corpses where she lay hidden from the genocidaires, bleeding profusely from a machete wound to her leg, given to her by a sympathetic Hutu.

“For the first time, I wished my son was blind,” she said, describing the scene, undoubtedly holding back floods of emotion. “I hope it’s not in his head.”

Truly, hers is a remarkable story and one which paints a startlingly vivid account of the events. Incredibly, Chishugi’s escape from Rwanda saw her pass through Paul Rusesabagina’s Hotel des Milles Collines – the infamous ‘Hotel Rwanda’ – and also the Nyamata church, the location of one of the most horrific slaughters of the genocide and to this day a grim memorial of the events.

She spoke of the “combination of a lot of messy politics… “The more I try to understand it, the more I get angry.”

Instead, Chishugi has focused not on understanding but reconciliation, a process of healing she says was inspired both by her mother and ‘survivor’s guilt’. “So many people survived, but for me it is: how many people have healed?”

As such, she established a charity, Everything is a Benefit, to provide aid to women and children in the war-ravaged Eastern Congo. “Whatever happened in Rwanda is the reason Congo is suffering at the moment,” she said. “It could repeat itself.” She hopes to raise money to fund education projects in the Eastern Congo and to supply a severely underfunded hospital in Walungu.

She also touched on the salient issue of Western complicity in the conflict, particularly with the increasingly pressing issue of ‘conflict minerals’ – rare earth metals such as tantalum widely used in microchips and mobile phone components, of which the DRC has the world’s largest known reserves. “The international community should give back,” she said. “We use laptops, we use mobile phones… without Congo, we could not communicate at all.” The West, she said, should take the approach of “take a little and give a little.”

Chishugi herself however seems unconcerned about political haranguing, instead focusing on making a difference on the ground to the people in Eastern Congo. “I decided to use my experience to help others to understand,” she said, modestly. “I think that’s my therapy.”

Listen to the podcast here: