War Child: A Child Soldier's StoryIn the mid-1980s, Emmanuel Jal was a seven year old Sudanese boy, living in a small village with his parents, aunts, uncles, and siblings. But as Sudan’s civil war moved closer—with the Islamic government seizing tribal lands for water, oil, and other resources—Jal’s family moved again and again, seeking peace. Then, on one terrible day, Jal was separated from his mother, and later learned she had been killed; his father Simon rose to become a powerful commander in the Christian Sudanese Liberation Army, fighting for the freedom of Sudan. Soon, Jal was conscripted into that army, one of 10,000 child soldiers, and fought through two separate civil wars over nearly a decade. But, remarkably, Jal survived, and his life began to change when he was adopted by a British aid worker. He began the journey that would lead him to change his name and to music: recording and releasing his own album, which produced the number one hip-hop single in Kenya, and from there went on to perform with Moby, Bono, Peter Gabriel, and other international music stars. Shocking, inspiring, and finally hopeful, War Child is a memoir by a unique young man, who is determined to tell his story and in so doing bring peace to his homeland. |
Contents
PROLOGUE | 1 |
CHAPTER 1 | 3 |
CHAPTER 2 | 11 |
CHAPTER 3 | 20 |
CHAPTER 4 | 33 |
CHAPTER 5 | 42 |
CHAPTER 6 | 50 |
CHAPTER 7 | 58 |
CHAPTER 16 | 142 |
CHAPTER 17 | 150 |
CHAPTER 18 | 160 |
CHAPTER 19 | 174 |
CHAPTER 20 | 185 |
CHAPTER 21 | 195 |
CHAPTER 22 | 206 |
CHAPTER 23 | 218 |
CHAPTER 8 | 65 |
CHAPTER 9 | 76 |
CHAPTER 10 | 86 |
CHAPTER 11 | 94 |
CHAPTER 12 | 105 |
CHAPTER 13 | 115 |
CHAPTER 14 | 125 |
CHAPTER 15 | 134 |
CHAPTER 24 | 226 |
CHAPTER 25 | 238 |
EPILOGUE | 247 |
AFTERWORD | 254 |
FURTHER INFORMATION | 259 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 261 |
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Common terms and phrases
Anyuak Arabs asked Babba Bantiu battle beat big soldier breath bullets burned camp commander dark Dinka Emma Emma McCune Emmanuel Emmanuel Jal Ethiopia eyes face Fathna feel felt fight filled fire friends front line Garang go to school ground hand head hear heard heart hole inside Itang jallabas jenajesh John Garang John Kong Juba Kenya Khartoum khawajas kill knew Kurki laughed legs lifted listen looked Lost Boys Lual machete maize Malual Mamma moved Mumo Nairobi never night Nuer Nyagai Nyakouth Nyaruach Nyuol once peace Peter Gabriel Pinyudu Puff Daddy refugee Riek Riek Machar river rushed savanna scared screamed shoot shouted silent sing skin smiled song soon SPLA stared started stomach stood stop stories Sudan Sudanese talemgi talk tell thought told trees tried tukul turned village voice wait walked wanted War Child watched who'd woman