The Congo is a dangerous place to grow up, especially for girls. Women and young girls are often captured, raped, and forced to live in the Bush with the rebel soldiers. Women are not regarded as daughters, sisters, and mothers. They are kept as sex slaves and servants. They are simply tools of war. Their value is to force the will of the grown men who love them. Women and children are easily subdued, but men can fight. When the rebel soldiers capture a man's children or his wife he will kneel to his knees to save them. Unfortunately, few are ever spared for this act of surrender.
Katina was only twelve when the rebel soldiers murdered her mother and father. Her brother, Sampson, was forced to become a child soldier. The rebels forced him to shoot his parents in the head as he cried in vain. Her older sister, Lakka, and her were captured and forced to live in the Bush at different rebel camps. The rebels brainwashed Sampson so bad that he acts like he no longer recognizes his sisters, maybe he truly doesn't. They are strangers to him and he is a stranger to them. This is how the rebel soldiers maintain their control over those they capture. Sampson shot and held Lakka at gun point when she tried to escape. Katrina has not seen Sampson or Lakka in months. It would change nothing even if she could. She is forced to look after the younger children and to cook for them and the rebel soldiers.
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Rebel Soldiers
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Katina did the best she could, but she had never cooked before. Her mother and sister did all of the cooking before they were captured. One of the elderly women in the camp taught Katina to make several different dishes. The children's favorite was a dish that included mangos. The rebels gathered the mangos one or twice a week, along with other supplies. Katina loved to see that the children all got a bite or two of their favorite dish.
It was the only happiness they had.
One day she ran out of mangos and asked one of the soldiers if he would go get more.
The young boy became angry and started yelling at Katina. His shouting alerted the others and Katina was surrounded by the rebels. The soldiers thrashed the area and the young boy shoved his gun in Katina's face. Then he pulled her by her hair into the Bush. One of the men from Katina's village tried to save her, but he kneeled to the ground as the soldier held a knife to Katina. The soldier cut off Katina's arms and legs. Her hero was forced to watch were he kneeled. Once Katina took her last breath, the man's head was severed from his body. The soldiers rejoiced as they dragged the two victim's lifeless bodies through the Bush. Katina's soul was free, but she prayed for the day when women.and children would no longer be tools of war.
Author's Note:
"Tools of War"is inspired by "The Wicked Husband." In the original story a husband and wife fight over gathering food. The husband drags his wife into the Bush and cuts off her arms and legs. He leaves her for dead, but tells everyone she has gone to visit family. Her body is discovered and the husband is burned alive beneath ear his wife's lifeless body. I wanted to use the story to give some insight as to what women of the Congo have endured as tools of war.
Bibliography:
Congo: "The Wicked Husband" written by
