Djasrabe Kimassoum Yilmian, better known as Ray’s Kim, is a engaged Chadian rapper. With his words sharp, his pen sharpened, he denounces and criticizes the bad governance that weighs down the development of his country. Ray’s Kim speaks for the young people who are marginalized and forgotten by the Republic. This several times awarded best has released 4 albums. Activist for several years in civil society organizations, the “big-mouthed” artist is on all fronts for the establishment of democracy in his country. This is how he joined the political party “Les Transformateurs” of Dr. Succès Masra in 2018 where is the spokesperson. The latest time he has been injured during protests was in October 2022 by live ammunition during the demonstrations organized by his party. As usual, he was on the front line. The repression was violent and then bloody. He was wrongly pronounced dead at midday. Fortunately, Ray’s Kim was able to escape the terror on that fateful day. He was forced into silence, in hiding and then forced into exile. Dear readers and listeners of “Dialogue Migration Podcast”, we catched up with Ray’s Kim during his visit to Ouagadougou. 

Hello Ray’s Kim, how are you doing today?

Hello Masbé and hello to all listeners. I’m not bad, I’m fine, thank God. I am happy to be with you in Ouagadougou. 

What really happened on October 20, 2022, the date that led to your exile? 

This is no secret. The Chadian people had decided to call to order the leaders of Chad, who had promised the whole world and the partners, that they had only 18 months to organize free and transparent elections so that a civilian could lead the country. It was found that at the end of this deadline, these leaders did not want to honor their word. They went through a so-called dialogue to be able to plot their continuity at the head of the country and the people being sovereign and owners of power decided to remind them that their word should be respected and decided to demonstrate in the streets for their voices to be heard. It was then with a Machiavellian plan, that they decided to kill more than 300 people, arrest more than 1000 people and make more than 200 people disappear. Until today, the pain is as such. There are comrades who are in prison whose release we are asking for, since the Constitution of Chad allows us to organize demonstrations, to protest, to protest if things do not work and we have only used this right to make ourselves heard. But unfortunately, these leaders already have a plan of dynastic succession, of confiscation of power, these leaders preferred to use force rather than listen to reason, that is why the protest was held and it was repressed. When one seeks to impose themselves in power by force, the dissenting voices of Chad must be crushed and remove all those who see the future of Chad differently in order for them to continue to enjoy power blithely. 

Where were you when the security forces started shooting at the demonstrators? 

There are things that can be understood. There are things happening on the ground that we don’t need to give details about. I was in N’Djamena, in the 7^th arrondissement when everything was happening. 

Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo said the protesters were armed with knives and were drugged. What do you say?

Perhaps drugged by this very great desire to see change in this country one day. Drugged by their conviction and determination. But drugged by some substance, I don’t think so. 

You have taken stock of the casualties. From where do you get these figures when you and your party leaders are out of the country? 

Comrades shared them with me and you know that at Les Transformateurs, we are an organized party with data (surname, first names, telephone numbers…) After the 20th October, we had to take stock of the situation and when we checked and noticed that X or Y were not there, we tried and realized that they had either been killed, arrested or were missing. There are also parents who reached out to the party to report the absence of their relatives. This is what allowed us to draw up a complete list: last name, first names, contacts… That is what makes it easy for me to talk to you about this record. 

Do you think it is simply that desire to stay in power that justifies this bloody repression as you have described it? 

Absolutely. I do not understand what can be the other reason for the leaders to repress Chadians. If they did not already have in mind to stay in power, they would have simply supervised the demonstration and everything would have gone well. But when we go against the popular will, it is because we want to impose a forfeiture.  

How did you end up out of the country? 

I left the country more than two weeks after October 20. Being sought after in every nook and cranny, I found refuge with X and then with Y until I could leave the country, to see things more or less clearly because I was like in a chasm and I did not know what was happening outside because I was cut off from the world. It took a lot of ingenuity for me to be outside Chad. 

In which country did you end up to guarantee your safety?

Zero risk does not exist in terms of security, regardless of the country in which you are. It was a question of finding the nearest country and that is what was done. 

And which country was it? 

When I talk about the nearest country, it is naturally Cameroon. 

Cameroon, then other countries and today you are passing through Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou). How is your life outside your country? 

It’s not easy to leave everything overnight and leave your country. It’s not easy to live far from your family, far from your country where you have projects to carry out for your community. And overnight we find ourselves living a life we had not imagined. It is a heavy weight to bear and we hope that things will return to normal and in the most democratic way possible and that people will come to their senses so that we can return to Chad and contribute positively to the political life of our country. 

Your comrades in Les Transformateurs party are silenced and also forced into exile. Do you hear from them? How are they doing, especially Dr. Succès Masra? 

As of now, to say that someone is doing well would be too much to say. Succès does his best to be strong. Otherwise, to be the first leader of a political organization that has lost 300 committed members and in the most animalistic way, one must be a Dr. Succès Masra to keep one’s head high and continue to seek solutions so that justice is served to all these fallen people and those who are in prison or missing. He does his best and he holds tight like a warrior. 

Your party has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC). Who exactly is it against? 

Against the leaders of the transition. Against those who gave the order to use disproportionate force to shoot their fellow citizens. Justice must be served to pay respect to those who have fallen unjustly. But also reparations for those who are incarcerated. And there are many wounded in prison. Recently we took out three people, one of whom died and the other two are still in care. I also know the one who died. All this should be repaired and if the justice of our country has decided to convict people who have used their constitutional right, I think we must file a complaint elsewhere, that’s why we chose the ICC. 

How were you welcomed by your compatriots or the populations of the host country? 

There was neither an organization nor a welcoming committee. We went naturally. We didn’t live like normal men and we had to accept our situation as people who are in danger and who are looking for safety. You know that as a defender of justice and equality, wherever we go there is emotion and especially that we have been declared dead and when we find friends, there is always emotion and great joy. Everything goes a little well everywhere we go. 

Actually, how did you experience the news of your death? 

It was hard. I was cut off from the world for two weeks and by the time I found internet connectivity, I saw signs of condolences on social networks (rest in peace, etc.) with my pictures, I thought it was a dream. I felt like a ghost. I told myself at one point that it is when you are no longer there that people express their love and I saw this expression towards me but it was heavy to carry and even today it is very heavy to carry because everywhere I go people remind me of it. There are people who fall into my arms crying. We go from emotion to emotion. 

Do you envision going back to your country one day? 

Of course! Every day that passes my desire to return home, so that I can return to a normal life and my family, remains intact. I care so much about my country and every morning I pray that things will get back to normal so that we can go back and be with our families. 

Do you miss friends, family, the atmosphere as well as the warmth of the country very much? 

Enormously! I miss it so much. I am very attached to my family. Not seeing them or just talking with them on the phone… I miss a lot of things in the country and I just want to find my country in the most beautiful way without conditions. 

When did you decide to enter politics? 

I repeat this to anyone who will listen because I never thought I would ever get into politics.  Because here in Africa in general and in Chad in particular, politics is stuck to rubbish and lies. Our parents, when you come to talk to them about politics, they don’t take you seriously. And I saw in politicians abnormal people who want to achieve their goal by all means using cunning. And it took for Succès to go back to Chad and contact me. Then we talked for weeks and we agreed. I have always been active in associations, citizen movements, etc. because I am looking for change in my country. I would really like to see this change before leaving.  I am ready to knock on every door where people are thinking about change in the country. That’s how he detailed his political program to me and convinced me and I gave him my word. I told him that his program is of interest to me because it is what I was already doing and if we can put our energies together to claim this change, I am up for it.

And what year are we talking about? 

That was in 2018. I am a founding member of Les Transformateurs. I didn’t join the party. I have been a member since the beginning of the movement before it became a political party. 

Are you currently working to unite Chadians around common challenges? 

That is the most important thing. Today the unity of Chadians is undermined by political shenanigans and the theory of divide and rule. They preferred to put Muslims and Christians, northerners and southerners in confrontation. It is pure Machiavellian politics because the Chadian people, despite their differences, are a united people where farmers and herders coexist. They understood that Chadians being united can decide who can lead and who should not lead, so ‘we must sow discord within society, we must divide people according to their faith, their region, their community in order to be able to remain in power’. Unfortunately, this helped Marshal Idriss Déby Itno for three decades. Today they want to extend their rule with the son. And the Chadian people should not accept it and prioritize their unity. Chadians are divided and what can unite them today is justice and equality. We must be fair and tell things as they are, we must be able to forgive ourselves our mistakes of the past and start afresh. Only justice can fix everything in the country. 

How do you see the future of your country? 

The future is a bit bleak because if we have leaders who want to use all their means to stay in power, the dream of a democratic, fulfilled Chad that is standing tall is receding day by day. When one decides to stay in power by arms, it is because they only prioritize security. The fact that Chad is a sensitive area with the expansion of jihadism symbolized by groups such as Boko Haram, makes some think that it must be led by a military. We say no. We need to demilitarize the government by putting in a man who will be nominated by the Chadian people in free and transparent elections. It is only through this prism that we will have the light in Chad because today everything is dark with fear everywhere. As long as those in power do not put in place the projects that meet the aspirations of the people, it will ensure that the atmosphere in the country is always gloomy. 

A particular message that is close to your heart for the Chadian people? 

Our determination remains intact. We will fight until there is change. As President Succès Masra has always said, the international community must choose between a democratic Chad and a dynastic Chad. We want a country where our children will grow up, be free and fulfill their dreams. We do not want to be in an open-air prison where a minority through poor governance holds the rest of the people hostage. There are currently no real social projects that allow young people to become involved after graduation. I think the determination remains unchanged. Whatever our position, we must first fight for the unity of the Chadian people and for the establishment of democracy in our country. One day, we will get to the democratic Chad that we are calling for because 80% of Chadians who aspire to freedom will have wanted it. 

Thank you, Mr. Ray’s Kim. 

We were with the Chadian rapper Ray’s Kim, spokesperson for the political party Les Transformateurs. He was forced into exile following the protests of October 20, 2022, described as Black Thursday. At the microphone, Masbé NDENGAR. See you soon!