Paper short abstract:

I propose a comparative analysis of war narratives published in Europe and the texts published and performed in DRC, relating migrations in the east of the country. I will focus on the two main differences between these narratives : the genre of the text and the "heroisation process".

Paper long abstract:

The narrative corpus on the subject of migrations within the DRC due to the conflicts in the eastern part of the country is mainly comprised of autobiographical narratives which are published in Europe as well as the DRC.

In sharp contrast with this genre is the show Kama (swahili title « and if » ), a modern tale written and performed by the Lushois artist, Sando Marteau. Thus, one may ponder the artist's motivations in opting for this genre to experiment with this kind of narrative. How does this genre impact the war narrative ? Does it help soften the hardness of the refugee experience by making the migration journey of initiation ?

One can also consider the differences in character treatment and the process of becoming a hero between narratives published in Europe versus those published and performed in the DRC. Whereas the former highlight the child-soldier character, many congolese narratives choose to make a young girl the war heroin/martyr. What makes women and children the embodiment of a hero in this type of narrative ? Can this choice be understood as the writer's awareness of the vulnerability of these figures in war-time or is it merely a strategy to tailor to the NGO discourse that focuses on sexual violence against women ?