Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Rory Carroll Ireland correspondent

‘Racist mindsets’: Congolese in Ireland feel fear in wake of Yves Sakila’s death

A woman raises both hands while others hold a sign reading 'YVES YOUR LIFE MATTERED #BLACKLIVES' at a protest
A protest in Dublin after the death of Yves Sakila, a Congolese man suspected of shoplifting who died after being restrained by security guards outside a department store in the city. Photograph: Natalia Campos/Reuters

When Kembetia Bissa fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo and moved to Ireland in 2003 he found not only sanctuary but beauty, friendship and a home.

The asylum seeker settled in Bandon, west Cork, and found work as a landscaper. He opened an African dance school with Congolese drumming and taught local people the rhythms of his homeland. “It was very positive, very welcoming. I felt like I was in my own country,” Bissa, 55, said this week in Dublin.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.