His book is the story of a remarkable trajectory, that of a cop at the front in the suburbs. A piece of the five-year term through the eyes of a soldier of the Republic.
On Twitter, Abdoulaye Kanté ticks all the boxes of the scapegoat: he is black, Muslim, policeman. His faults? Defend your profession, the French Republic and its values. It didn’t take much more for the anonymous “haters” to pour out their hatred on social networks, from insults to death threats… Abdoulaye resists the attacks. This Franco-Malian civil servant, who is not affiliated with any union or political party, stands out in this usually silent, smooth universe. In his interventions, he remains equal to himself: frank, fair, benevolent. Born in 1978 in the Paris region, he grew up in Mali. On his return to France, Abdoulaye enlisted at the age of 17 in the national navy, an enriching experience tainted by the contempt of two superiors.
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Faced with racism, the soldier does not retreat or become discouraged. At 21, he joined the ranks of the police in Paris. Guardian of the peace, anti-crime brigade then narcotics, before being seconded to the Seine-Saint-Denis departmental judicial police service, until November 13, 2015. That evening, the official was on the front line at the Stade de France … Abdoulaye Kanté confides his moments of life in his book “Police, child of the Republic”, a rant in his image, polite but direct against all the attacks – or almost – received by his peers: demonstrations of yellow vests, management of the health crisis, care for abused women.
The man is not kind to his profession when it comes to acknowledging deficiencies in police training. But he protests against “police bashing”, the denigration of the police, denouncing accusations of systemic racism in his ranks as caricatural criticisms against his colleagues. In his book, the professional defends with anger but measures his missions, recounts the reality of his daily life: pressures, difficulties, responsibilities… And reminds us of the mental and physical distress of his comrades. Her book is dedicated to her friend and colleague Maggy Biskupski, who committed suicide on November 12, 2018.
Policeman, child of the Republic”, by Abdoulaye Kanté, ed. Fayard, 198 pages, 17 euros.
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