Congolese Independence celebrated in Cavan

Eight Irish UN veterans and their families attended a Congolese Independence day celebration in Cavan earlier this month. It is the first celebration of its kind in Cavan, which was organised by the United Congolese Association.

The group launched in February this year and wanted to host a cultural gathering to celebrate their day of independence. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) celebrates their Independence Day on June 30, however the group decided to host the day over the Irish bank holiday weekend.

Chairperson Sido Makaya Manzambi was thrilled when some Irish veterans agreed to attend. Among them was Michael Colton who served in the Congo during Ireland’s earliest peacekeeping missions in the 1960s. They came together with other members of the Congolese community in Cavan for a day of remembrance, football, culture, and connection.

"It was great," Sido said of the day.

From Kinshasa, Sido founded the group last year upon realising that there "wasn't really anything going on" for the Congolese.

"We really wanted to be integrated apart from working here and bringing our kids to Gaelic, we didn't really have anything to stand on.

"We're just a group of young Congolese who decided to start something here in Cavan."

Held at Cavan Rugby Club, the independence celebration kicked off with a game of football between national team FC Simba and UCA Cavan, which comprises a mixture of Nigerian, Congolese, Botswana and Zimbabwean people. As the game went on, FC Simba were crowned winners, however the real prize was yet to be served up.

Hours of preparation went into curating some of the finest Congolese dishes in Cavan, as those attending got to try traditional cuisines such as Makayabu, a salted fish dish; Pondu which is made from boiled and mashed cassava leaves and Makemba, a fried plantain meal. A plantain is a starchy, tropical fruit that's part of the banana family.

The veterans attending were invited to be honoured and presented with a painting and trophy.

According to the military archives, a total of 6,000 Irishmen served in the Congo from 1960 to 1964. The involvement saw Irish soldiers taking part in heavy fighting, suffering fatalities and injuries. Twenty-six Irish soldiers lost their lives in all.

"We don't want to go back to the history, we are the fourth, fifth generation of the Congo and we're not going to take any sides."

Sido gave a speech, which focused on peace, and a minute's silence was held to "pay respect to those who had passed in the Congo" during the event.

Stories of times in the Congo were shared, and the mother of five revealed that the veterans "loved" the day.

"They were telling us about the Congo, it was a wonderful time."

"It was so emotional because I would never even have been in that part of the Congo, we wouldn't have heard the stories. They knew what was happening and they opened up and they spoke about it. It was great to hear from them."

The veterans really enjoyed the occasion and they got an opportunity to eat Congolese food that they hadn't tried in a while.

"We just wanted them to visualise the Congo again but with a different generation, a younger generation rather than going back to what happened.

"We just loved it, their presence meant so much," emphasised Sido, describing their trip from Dublin to Cavan as "powerful" in light of how some immigrants are treated in Ireland.

"I understand the situation is not great in the country to be honest, but they came, they showed us that love."

Aged 37, Sido came to Ireland in 2002 following her father who had found a job in the engineering field. She pursued her studies and worked before deciding to move to Cavan to start her family in 2012.

She loves living in Cavan with her family, however, she said it is "absolutely" difficult to be a black person in Ireland today.

"First of all, we are all considered to be the same," she pointed out.

Growing up, she said Africa was considered a country to her friends and people who enquired about her culture.

"I was bullied not because of my colour, mostly because I didn't fit in with the cool kids.

"What we are experiencing now is scarier that what I experienced back then because when you walk down the streets you are considered to be dangerous," she said, adding that is it assumed "you are on social welfare" which she said is not the case.

"When you walk down the streets, I feel like you don't have that respect anymore because you are just considered like the rest of them," she said, keenly pointing out that this is not the case for those who have gotten to know her.

"For the rest you feel hated in a way," she said, describing how everybody came to Ireland with "a different story".

"When I see the black kids on the street, I literally tell them to go home," she said, also pointing out that most of these children have spent their entire lives in Ireland.

"The Irish should have been asked if they wanted [immigrants coming in]. It's their country to be honest. Most of them didn't get the consultation that they wanted.

"Now that it's been done forcefully for those who are here, I think we need to work together," she suggested.

For those that are seeking refuge the country, Sido suggested that they "introduce them to the code if life" in Ireland.

"It's not being done," she added.

"Let us work together, that's all," she urged.

The United Congolese Association is open to everybody. To find out more, search their Facebook and Instagram pages.