(Re)Constructing Masculinity and Femininity in African War Narratives : The Youth in Chimamanda Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun and Gorretti Kyomuhendo’s Waiting: A Novel of Uganda at War.

Abstract

Introduction: The Youth factor in Africa's War: Issues and ChallengesEarly writings on Africa's wars, for the most part, have privileged the adult viewpoint and experience.1 Although the human and economic costs of war in Africa remains understudied, less acknowledged are the roles and experiences of Africa's children and youth. Neither the psychological toll on the young, nor the gender implications of youth experiences in war has been sufficiently examined. The youth factor, therefore, constitutes part of the muted index in African literature. The deficiency of research to fully address or represent these dimensions of Africa's history of wars has led to the call for ...a more comprehensive study and understanding of the nature of the crises bedeviling the African (Nwankwo 2). This paucity is, however, slowly being redressed by the outflow of narratives that centralize youth perspectives on war. Since the last quarter of the twentieth century, several works based on this most neglected aspect of Africa's history have been published.2 The experiences and contributions of the young to the war machinery are being represented in a variety of genres, and questions regarding the impact of war on their socialized gender identities have also emerged. Research on war emphasize the importance of gender discourse in the human experience of war. A gender focus clarifies issues that affect males and females, differently, and also enhances understanding of its links to youth identity reconstruction in the context of war.3In contemporary times, most nations on the African continent have gone through war or conflict in one form or the other. A sample list includes Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and most recently, Mali4 These examples are constant reminders of the collateral damages wreaked by this pervasive force on the continent. Without a doubt, war has been a permanent feature of Africa's post- colonial terrain; children and youth have also become the new machinery of war. One writer invokes the tragedy of children's socialization into the violent ethics of war:In my travels in East Africa, I have encountered terrifying perils that engulf children's lives in horrific ways. On our planet, during our watch, children have become the new face of war. The aiming of children has become one of the woist evils of the modem worlds; the existence of soldieis represents an absolute defeat foi humanity. I feai that in future when only memories of oui time remain, otheis will wondei of us: How could we have tolerated the brutal, forced conscriptions of children to kill? The future will likely question oui veiy humanity. (Dunson 6)Africa's children have been turned into victims of war as well as victimizers. Their increasing presence in warfare has drawn the attention of many human rights organizations and concerned individuals to the exploitation of the young. This situation leads scholars and critics alike to question the future of the continent. Incidentally, despite efforts of international and humanitarian organizations to curb the forced engagement of children and youth in war and to protect their rights, the enigma of child still hangs over the continent, even in the 21st century. However, public awareness and non-governmental groups have taken on the challenge. For instance, in March 2005, Invisible Children Inc., a charity organization based in the United States released a controversial documentary film calling for the immediate capture of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) junta, Joseph Kony. The film titled, Kony 2012, has been controversial. It's purpose and strategies for raising awareness on this issue have come under serious public scrutiny. In Children at War f2006), RW. Singer asserts that the use of soldiers is probably the world's most unrecognized form of abuse(9). Using interviews from both adult and soldiers, as well as humanitarian workers, he exposes the vulnerability of children to exploitation during wars. …