Paper short abstract:

This paper argues that fleeing war can be seen as a non-violent strategy to navigate through uncertainty. Fleeing is not the same as disengaging. In the diasporic communities, youngsters are able to participate in and give shape to the political evolution of their country.

Paper long abstract:

This paper provides an example of a young Central African who avoids violence by escaping it physically. Euloge (27) grew up as the favourite son of a Central African civil servant. Inspired by his father, Euloge makes his first steps in grassroots politics when he enrolled at the University of Bangui where he becomes an active member of the National Students' Association (ANECA). When in 2013 the Seleka coup d'Etat plunged the Central African Republic (CAR) into a state of unprecedented chaos, some youngsters decided to take up arms, others decided to flee, yet others decided to stay. Feeling threatened, Euloge fled to Kinshasa (Congo). By focusing on Euloge's story, fleeing is analysed in this paper as a non-violent strategy to navigate precarious situations. The conflict in CAR pushed Euloge to abandon his country, but not his political engagement. In Kinshasa, Euloge has become the representative of the Central African community of refugees. Euloge has political aspirations and hopes his time in Kinshasa will help him attain a political position once he returns to CAR. By fleeing war and engaging actively in the community of refugees, Euloge has created an alternative political and social space in which he defends the wellbeing of Central African youth in Kinshasa, while staying in tune with the violent and non-violent evolvements in his country.