Pierre-Clavier Mbonimpa

About this book

"This is a powerful and compelling book, a poignant testimony which sheds light on the life of an exceptional man and his country, Burundi. Through a series of simple but pertinent questions, journalist and writer Antoine Kaburahe brings us close to this extraordinary man. Still Standing tells two parallel stories : the story of a humanist and human rights activist, and the story of Burundi, a beautiful country which finds itself once again, dramatically, at the heart of the news on Africa. Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa, the 'Nelson Mandela of Burundi', has been involved in politics, survived imprisonment, and suffered deeply. Strengthened by his experiences, he dedicated himself to human rights work and has become an icon of Burundian civil society. He has paid a high price : he miraculously survived an assassination attempt, but his son and his son-in-law were not so lucky. Now living as a refugee in Belgium, 'Mutama', as he is known affectionately - a term of respect for an older man - , conveys the message of someone who, despite the prevailing pessimism, remains convinced that 'the long night will end' and that 'light awaits at the end of the tunnel'." --Page 4 of cover