DRC: Léonie Abo, a woman who symbolizes resistance and dignity in the face of atrocities

Kinshasa, October 27^th, 2025 (CPA).-The testimony of Léonie Abo, a woman who survived rebellion and oblivion, immortalized in Ludo Martens’ book ‘Abo, une femme du Congo’ (Abo, a woman from the Congo), is described as a symbol of resistance, dignity and feminine lucidity in the face of history, as recorded in the living memory of the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the CPA learned on Monday from the book. ‘Her story is marked by tragic events, notably her forced marriage at the age of 14 to a violent man, Gaspar Mumputo, and her imprisonment in 1962. But she chose to fight and joined the Kwilu rebellion led by Pierre Mulele in 1963,’ wrote Ludo Martens in his book. Born on 15 August 1945 in Malungu, in the greater Bandundu region, Léonie Abo endured pain, war and exile, but never lost her voice. She was Pierre Mulele’s companion for five years, sharing with him the hopes and disappointments of the struggle. After Mulele’s assassination in 1968, she fled to Congo-Brazzaville, where she still lives in exile today. Now 80 years old, Léonie Abo devotes her life to bearing witness and telling her story.