The Politics of Memory: Divergent Framings of the Cut-Cut Massacre in Chad and Its Diaspora

• In Event: 40420 - Section on Political Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 4: Narrative Politics

Abstract

This study examines the 1917 “Cut-Cut Massacre” in Chad, Central Africa, where French colonial authorities ordered the beheading of Muslim religious leaders in a public display intended to diminish Islam’s influence in the region. It investigates how this violent event is remembered and interpreted differently by Chadians in the diaspora and those in Chad. The research focuses on how these groups construct meaning around the massacre and engage with its memory across distinct sociopolitical and cultural contexts. This study offers insight into how groups with shared histories and beliefs deploy different repertoires to make sense of past atrocities. I apply sense-making theory and cultural trauma frameworks to analyze archival records and transcripts from commemorative events, exploring how Chadians in both the homeland and diaspora interpret and reshape the memory of the massacre. The findings reveal two distinct frameworks of memory – the Homeland frames the massacre through a sacred lens, emphasizing spiritual resilience, martyrdom, and divine justice, and the Diaspora adopts a secular, justice-oriented framing, highlighting colonial violence, victimhood, and demands for reparations. This comparative approach uncovers the distinct memory practices and narratives used by each group to engage with colonial violence, and explores the justifications used for these differing lenses.

Author

• Harmata Aboubakar, University of Toronto