Hassam Ciza, one of Burundi’s small Muslim community, did not join the rebels voluntarily. In 2006 the FNL came to his house, started beating people, and gave them a choice between joining and being killed; he accepted. He was with the rebels for several months, where he says he was treated “like an animal”. He and the other abductees were used like slaves, acting as porters and carrying out heavy work in the camp, and they were regularly beaten. Finally, after being asked to go and get charcoal, he ran away. He had a gun, which he gave to a friend, then ran and gradually made his way home. Like many people, however, Hassam did not find an easy homecoming. His mother had been killed, and his family now consisted of him and his elder brother. He felt guilt for what he had done, even though, he says, he did nothing that he was not forced to do. He felt that he had ‘the spirit of a soldier’ and could not relate to others; he even considered returning to the bush, but in the end did not. Now twenty, he is clearly still traumatised by his experience, refusing to meet my eye and shifting uncomfortably as he talks. He is also struggling to support himself; although he received training as a mechanic he has not been able to find work. He is, however, adamant about one thing: he does not want to be a soldier. Even talking about CEDAC, a subject on which most members will talk enthusiastically, he limits his words. But he says he likes being with people, and that it has helped him adapt to life. And, after a year with CEDAC, he is optimistic about the future. Although it would be stretching a point to see Hassam as a survivor able to help others, his story illustrates the importance of the peer support model in other ways; he struggled to relate to those who had not shared his experiences, but through CEDAC support groups he is beginning to address his trauma. Talking to the other young people in the group, most of whose ordeals took place before Hassam’s did, I believe they have the strength to help him develop through this and find his own path to his future.

Hassam Ciza, one of Burundi’s small Muslim community, did not join the rebels voluntarily. In 2006 the FNL came to his house, started beating people, and gave them a choice between joining and being killed; he accepted. He was with the rebels for several months, where he says he was treated “like an animal”. He and the other abductees were used like slaves, acting as porters and carrying out heavy work in the camp, and they were regularly beaten. Finally, after being asked to go and get charcoal, he ran away. He had a gun, which he gave to a friend, then ran and gradually made his way home.

Like many people, however, Hassam did not find an easy homecoming. His mother had been killed, and his family now consisted of him and his elder brother. He felt guilt for what he had done, even though, he says, he did nothing that he was not forced to do. He felt that he had ‘the spirit of a soldier’ and could not relate to others; he even considered returning to the bush, but in the end did not. Now twenty, he is clearly still traumatised by his experience, refusing to meet my eye and shifting uncomfortably as he talks. He is also struggling to support himself; although he received training as a mechanic he has not been able to find work. He is, however, adamant about one thing: he does not want to be a soldier. Even talking about CEDAC, a subject on which most members will talk enthusiastically, he limits his words. But he says he likes being with people, and that it has helped him adapt to life. And, after a year with CEDAC, he is optimistic about the future.

Although it would be stretching a point to see Hassam as a survivor able to help others, his story illustrates the importance of the peer support model in other ways; he struggled to relate to those who had not shared his experiences, but through CEDAC support groups he is beginning to address his trauma. Talking to the other young people in the group, most of whose ordeals took place before Hassam’s did, I believe they have the strength to help him develop through this and find his own path to his future.