27, 28 and 29 OCTOBER 2022
This talk is based on my book* chronicling my journey from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Europe through the Sahara desert, where I endured all manner of violence and atrocities. After making it to Morocco, I was detained due to the security measures in place to close European borders. Faced with this impasse, I co-founded the organisation ARCOM (Association of Refugees and Migrant Communities of Morocco) to defend our rights.
After managing to enter Europe in 2008, I decided to write this book to tell my story and, above all, to raise awareness of those without a voice. This book also inspired the creation of an emergency shelter providing refuge for migrant women and children.
Emmanuel Mbolela
* The book Refugiado: una odisea africana by Emmanuel Mbolela was published in Spain in April 2022 by the Pumpitas de Calabaza Publishing House.
Emmanuel Mbolela was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo on 23 May 1973.
He studied economics at the University of Mbuji-Mayi, where he joined an opposition political party against the Mobutu and then Kabila regimes. Ultimately, he was persecuted for his political commitment and forced to flee his country.
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He wrote the book Refugiado, una odisea africana (Refugee, an African odyssey), which has been published in five languages. He is the founder of ARCOM (Association of Refugee and Migrant Communities in Morocco) and a shelter for migrant women in Rabat.
He is an activist and defender of migrant rights.