Soukeyna Niang Marked by History

Marked by History

The word is marked by a lot of stories including wars, celebrations and separations. My mother keeps a very old picture of her grandfather wearing a military uniform, fully armed and a big smile on his face. It is as she is always waiting for someone to ask questions about the picture so she can proudly share my great grandfather's story. Madagascar was a victim of a war with France, which led to the Madagascar Uprising. Malgasy started a fight with France because they occupied the territory, and France responded with brutal tactics. My great grandfather, who served in the military, was part of that war and he was forced to leave the country because he did not have any family left. He had a better position in Mali’s military, so he moved and eventually got married to my great grandmother and had a child who is my grandfather. This situation had a deep influence in my entire family even in the present.

After the war, my great grandfather had a military position in Mali and had dual nationality. He was brought up in a military family and was forced to pursue the same career when he was eighteen. He served in the medical corps at that time and was helping a lot of people who got injured during the war. Unfortunately, France destroyed villages, burned homes and massacred citizens and the military. It was veritable chaos, and he did not have the opportunity to check on his cousins. He lost his parents and got a better position in Mali where he decided to restart with zero. My great grandfather met a mesmerizing Malian wife and married her and my great grandmother and they eventually had a son, my grandfather. The Malian government gave him the nationality which led the whole family to have as well. My family has the nationality Malgasy-Malian and Senegalese for my mother and her siblings.

My grandfather also left Mali for Senegal where my mother was born. This situation had an impact on her life because she changed schools a lot. My grandfather was also in the Malian military and was charged to supervise the creation of the railroads between Mali and Senegal at that time. He found a Senegalese woman and married her, and after my mother was born, he decided to stay in Senegal. Even though he moved to Senegal, he was going back and forth in Senegal which made his family move with him. My mother then was changing schools every time he was assigned to a new location. Every time my mother went to a new school, she had to retake a class that she already had done in the previous school. She had the experience of visiting a lot of 

regions in Senegal, but it had an effect on her education due to the loss of years during school.

The war in Madagascar affected a lot of generations of my family causing my extended family to be dispersed in Africa. One part of the family resides in Madagascar, one part in Mali and some in Senegal. It was very difficult for my grandfather to make contact with his family in Madagascar but, because of the mail, he finally found them. Every year, he used to go to Madagascar to meet his family, and it has always been a routine for the family. They have a family gathering every two or three years, and that has helped them get to know each other. It is very surprising to see how they all look alike although they were separated since my great grandfather left Madagascar.

Overall, Madagascar's war did not only affect my great grandfather but a lot of generations. The situation has had a positive effect because the family has two nationalities even if they were separate. My great grandfather left a rich heritage and three different cultures in one single family. The family also tried to respect and learn about each other's culture. Sometimes, History can bring people together instead of driving them apart.