The recent CAR (Central African Republic) conflict forced many people to flee their country. Over ninety-thousand refugees have been officially registered in DR Congo alone. The majority of those who are assisted reside in refugee camps; a minority has opted to look for opportunities elsewhere. During my research I followed Central African refugees, which I prefer to call conflict (im)mobiles, along the CAR-DRC border. This research focuses on how these (im)mobiles make choices and take decisions that draw their life paths. The setting is ‘urban’, as it follows the (im)mobiles that are outside the camps, in small provincial towns as well as in the big metropole.

The research is conceptualized from the angle of information flows. Information flows refer to the ways in which (im)mobiles interiorize and exteriorize information. Interiorization refers to the collection of data, both offline and online (Facebook, Twitter, and others), both official and unofficial. Exteriorization points to the ways in which (im)mobiles communicate with the institutions that ought to represent them, such as the UNHCR, but also the ways in which they present themselves to their peers and wider public. Ultimately this research links up to theories of navigation, adaptation and identity construction.

CTD publications by Catherina Wilson:

Articles:

• Wilson M.C. (2014), ‘Changing Definitions of Autochthony and Foreignness in Bangui’, Hot Spots, Cultural Anthropology website, 11 June 2014.

Book chapters:

• Wilson M. C. (2015), ‘Kindoubil: urban youth languages in Kisangani’ in: Nassenstein N., Hollington A. (Eds.) Youth Language Practices in Africa and Beyond. no. 105, Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.

Papers:

• Wilson, M. C., ‘Painting Knowledge, Writing Art’, CTD conference, N’Djaména, 25-28 October 2017.
• Wilson, M. C., ‘Fleeing as a non-violent strategy: An engaged student becomes an engaged refugee’, ECAS, Basel. 29 June-1 July 2017.
• Wilson, M. C., ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised Social Mediatised’, paper presented at the Workshop Media, elections and conflicts in Africa, Oxford, 16 November 2015.

Blogs:

• Catherina Wilson’s personal blog: Rumours on the Ubangui.
• Guest blog ‘Rumble in the Jungle: From the January 2015 riots to the #FrontCitoyen2016’ on Prof. Mirjam de Bruijn’s blog Counter Voices in Africa, 5 February 2016.