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The Third Day of the TRC Public Hearings Proceedings
held on Wednesday April 30th, 2008 at the C.H Dewey Auditorium, Bomi County.
The Hearings session started with the Commissioners of the TRC being ushered
into their seats, followed by a welcome remarks form the Chairman of the TRC Cllr.
Jerome Verdier who then called on the Hearings Officer Pastor John Teayah to invite
the first Primary Witness to give her testimony.
Fifteenth Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Public Hearings in
Tubmanburg, Bomi County
Baddah Dent
(First Primary Witness of day three)
The First Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and she was accompanied by the psychosocial officer
and the protections officer of the TRC. The Primary Witness was then sworn to
tell the truth and nothing but the truth by the TRC Hearings Officer.
Co-chairman: Good morning
Mr. Dent we want to thank you for coming to the TRC. We are going around the
country to get the story of people for what happen to them during the war, and
that?s why we are here.
What is your name again?
Primary Witness: I am
Baddah Dent.
Where do you live?
Primary Witness: I live
Bassa.
What do you do for a living?
Primary Witness: I am a
farmer and plant rice.
How old are you?
Primary Witness: I am
24years of age.
Primary Witness: Since 2000
I was in Montserrado and my father told me to go and spent time with my aunty
in Swan Mecca and we heard of the LURD forces in Bopolu and they came to our
area and attacked. When they came I went in the house to rescue my grand father
and he felt on the ground so I lie down flat and after the shooting I came to
see my grand father and he was lying with blood on him and he was helpless so I
yell and I ran in the bush because the were still shooting. When I was running
I met with the government forces and they asked me where I was coming from and
I told them so they said I was a soldier but I told them the story of how they
attacked and killed my grand father and my aunty was also missing so they left
me.
I went on the came where my
mother was and I told her the story and she was not o her self. The rebels use
to come to the camp to look for able body men and my mother told me they were coming
so I went in the house and one guy came and said I should not go in the house I
should run and she put me in the toilet for three days. Then we started looking
for my brother Jussu and when we were looking for him one woman told us he was taken
by the rebels and they put him in the car and from that day we have not see
him. So our father use to advise us not to be a part of the soldiers and we
went to Duala. Later I went to look for my
mother in the displace camp and I was with her until the whole thing got over.
After that I decide to go and
look for my brother at the Duala area when the
UNMIL people were coming at that area and there was no way to go across and so
I entered the river and cross. I saw a lot of people in the water who could not
come out so I went to the house of my mother and found out that it was burnt
and there was nothing left for us. I went to the camp and told my mother and
she said my father is dead and my son is missing so there is nothing I can do.
So I told my mother I will go and help to start and the GTZ came and assisted
us with building and we went and told the Red Cross about our mission brother
about him. Since that time we have not seen him, that is what happened to us in
the war.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Commissioner Bull: Thank
you for coming to tell your story to TRC. Thank you
Commissioner Konneh: Mr.
Witness, we are prayerful that your brother is still alive.
Can you remember any other
factions fighting?
Primary Witness: Yes, but
I was small
You said LURD came and started
shooting; were there soldiers in the town?
Primary Witness: Yes
government troop
Which groups short your grand
father?
Primary Witness: I don't
know.
What is his name?
Primary Witness: Alieu
Dent
What happen after arresting you?
Primary Witness: When I
was there, there was a car, and I hid myself behind it then I left.
Where was your mother?
Primary Witness: In Perry
displaces camp
You said, at times Sando Johnson
use to come and catch people?
Primary Witness: Yes,
forcedly.
And since then you have not heard
about your brother?
Primary Witness: Yes
Do you know Sando Johnson?
Primary Witness: Only by
his car.
Is it the same Sando Johnson who
is at the house of Representative?
Primary Witness: Yes
You said your mother house was
burnt, did GTZ and the Red Cross help?
Primary Witness: Yes, they
brother some soap and other things.
Were you going to school before?
Primary Witness: Yes
What was your class?
Primary Witness: 4thgrade
How old are you now?
Primary Witness: 24years
old.
Do you still want to go to
school?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Besides your father and little
brother, have you loose any relative?
Primary Witness: No
What about your missing aunty?
Primary Witness: Yes we
saw her.
How many children do you have?
Primary Witness: Two
Are you married?
Primary Witness: No. but
girl friend
How old are yours children?
Primary Witness: 5 and 7
Do you want to go and finish your
school?
Primary Witness: Yes
You like farming?
Primary Witness: Yes that
my profession
Primary Witness: Could you
call the name of your grand father and brother?
Primary Witness: Jusu
Dent, Mark Kamara
How long you stay in LURD control
area?
Primary Witness: 4months
Did you observed them forcing
young boys to join?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Do you know the commander Lapper?
Primary Witness: Yes
Were you recruited?
Primary Witness: No.
Did they ask you to carry arm for
them?
Primary Witness: No.
Did you see people carrying arms
for them?
Primary Witness: No.
Who was lapper?
Primary Witness: He was a
commander for LURD
Where are your parents?
Primary Witness: Bensonville
What is the name of your father
and mother?
Primary Witness: Mariama
Kamara, Benjamin Dent
Have you ever got hurt before?
Primary Witness: Yes on my
hand.
Where were you attending?
Primary Witness: Gbarpolu
Some one told your mother that
your brother got killed, are you sure of that?
Primary Witness: I can't
tell
Co-chairman: You can tell
your brother to get in touch with you if he is alive.
Do you have any thing to say as
your last word or recommendation?
Primary Witness: I only
have thanks for TRC for sharing what was on my mind. I tell the international
world thanks.
Sixteenth Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Public Hearings in
Tubmanburg, Bomi County
Mohammed Jalloh
(Second
Primary Witness of day three)
The Second Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and he was accompanied by the psychosocial officer
and the protections officer of the TRC. The Primary Witness was then sworn to
tell the truth and nothing but the truth by the TRC Hearings Officer.
Co-chairman: we want to
thank you for coming to the TRC and we want to say welcome. They say we must go
to tell all the things where happen to the people. What is your name again?
Primary Witness: My name
is Mohammed Jalloh.
Where do live?
Primary Witness: I live in
Kondeh.
What is you age?
Primary Witness: I was
born 1930.
What do you do?
Primary Witness: I am a
farmer.
Primary Witness: 1990,
when the war came in Bomi, we were here, the people who capture this town they
told us they were looking for 3 people. They were looking for the Krahn man,
Soldier man and Mandingo. We the Fullah people in the town we were happy. You
know I am not living in the center of the town. They came they say we should
find some thing for the people for their cold water, so they can protect we the
Fullah people. So we give them something for their cold water. So we were here,
I think they came here July 31st we stay here, and nothing happen.
When we reach to the end of August, Taylor
people came and said, all the people them should come, so they called us that
were non citizens Guineans, Ghanaians, Nigerians, and other people who were
staying here in Liberia.
And Charles Taylor said, all the
ECOMOG weep here come here to keep peace, if they kill any Liberian, he will
kill 5 of that tribe there. So we were there, one day Taylor soldiers came in
the night, they carry all the Sierra Leonean to the Barracks, they took the
Ghanaian and carry them to their own of place, they came and carry all the
Nigerians to their place, then they left we the Guineans in that big house. We
were there, and I spent one month and half in that prison. No food, so one time
I got sick, and I say oh, I sick let me go and take treatment. So that how they
free me, I went and take our country medicine. But one other Fullah woman who
came from Monrovia
she and her husband the man die from hungry in the jail. So they say the woman
was having money on her. Plenty money, so when NPFL came, they collected the
woman, they take her to the center of the town, in front of everybody and they
kill that woman. And she had a baby, they kill the baby too, they were using
knife to stave the baby, and they burry the woman and her baby together. The thing
that happen, it plenty, but that it I see.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Co-chairman: We want to
thank you for coming, the thing where you come talk, it show us that true, we
even heard it, happen in Fendell. So right now commissioners will ask you
questions for clarity.
Commissioner Bull: Thank
you for coming to share your story with the TRC. The story you told us, that
they kill the woman with her baby, were you present?
Primary Witness: No, some
people came and told me.
The people who told you, who are
they?
Primary Witness: Mustapha
Jalloh and others.
Where is he now?
Primary Witness: He's in Guinea.
Commissioner Konneh: we
want to hank you for coming; I want to know what they did to the other tribes
since they say the Fullah people are peaceful people?
Primary Witness: Yes, they
were kill soldier people, and Krahn people.
Where you there when they kill
them?
Primary Witness: No, I
only saw their body.
Did you see guns with them as
soldiers?
Primary Witness: No.
You said when they deploy ECOMOG,
Taylor said
something, what did he say?
Primary Witness: He said,
the ECOMOG he brought, if they kill any of his soldiers he will kill 10 of
their people.
Did you see it happening?
Primary Witness: Not
really, but around the official house they we all there.
Do you know the amount of
different nationals?
Primary Witness: Oh, the
whole of Tubmanburg was full of different nationals.
Do you know the amount of people
that were killed?
Primary Witness: No, I
can't remember.
Do you know if they were killed?
Primary Witness: Yes, they
kill some of the Fullah people.
Do you remember their names?
Primary Witness: I can't
remember some of the Nigerians but n all the Fullah people.
Can you call their names?
Primary Witness: They
names were Bakr Bah, Osman Bah, Mutalu Jalloh and Amadu Barry, they were the Guineas,
but I can remember Alhaji and Mahlam,they were Nigerians.
What about the Nigerian?
Primary Witness: Alhaji
and Marlam
Do you know about any Gahanna, Sierra Leonean?
Primary Witness: I can't
remember their names, because they were not too close to me.
When the war started, your
children ran away, how many children did you have?
Primary Witness: I had 27
children but most of them die young, and I have 11 children and 3 of them died
natural death; the other 8 are alive and some are in Guinea,
some are in Liberia
here and they don't want to come to where I live.
Where are your wives?
Primary Witness: My first
wife died a natural death in October 1989 and the other two are still alive one
in government farm, and the other one in Caldwell.
And they get children for you?
Primary Witness: Yes, but
they other one children die.
You said you were sick, where did
you go for treatment?
Primary Witness: I only
use my country herbs.
You only talk about NPFL, what
did ULIMO do to you?
Primary Witness: The only
thing, they did was to loot all my properties.
Apart from looting, did they do
any bad thing to you?
Primary Witness: No, they
did not do any thing to me.
What about the others?
Primary Witness: No, I did
not see them beat any one.
What about LURD?
Primary Witness: I did not
see them do any thing to somebody.
Commissioner Coleman:
thank you for coming, were you born here in Liberia?
Primary Witness: No.
Where were you born?
Primary Witness: I was
born in Guinea.
When did you come here?
Primary Witness: I came to
Liberia
when I was Young.
What did you come to do?
Primary Witness: I came to
find money to build my country.
And did you find what you came
for?
Primary Witness: Yes,
because when I came, I was working with Shell Company.
So you stay here all your live?
Primary Witness: Yes, I
only sent of my children to Guinea.
Which year did ECOMOG come to Liberia
can you remember?
Primary Witness: Yes, it
was in September 1990.
Was it the same time Taylor came?
Primary Witness: Yes, he
came one month before ECOMOGB came.
And you say Guineans were here?
Primary Witness: Yes, but
later they went back.
Commissioner Washington:
thank you for coming, I want you to tell us briefly how was life before NPFL
came?
Primary Witness: Was very
good.
And how was live after the NPFL
came?
Primary Witness: It was
getting worst, because they started talking our thing from us.
So it was when they deploy
ECOMOG, that's when your problems started?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Where did they take the Sierra Leonean?
Primary Witness: They took
them to the Barracks.
Can you tell us why?
Primary Witness: No.
You said they took you to the
prison and you stay there for one month and half?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Can you tell us how was life
there?
Primary Witness: It was
not easy; they were not giving us food.
And you said they use to come and
take your and kill your?
Primary Witness: No, that
only the woman who had plenty money with her.
Where was she from?
Primary Witness: Guinea.
You said they kill her and they
kill her baby?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Do you know if she had a husband?
Primary Witness: Yes.
What
happen to him?
Primary Witness: He got
sick and died right there in the prison.
So what happen to the other
people?
Primary Witness: For the
Nigerians, accept God make some of them escape, but they kill all of them.
You say you don't know the number
of people,
Primary Witness: No, I cant remember the number of people.
That were there, or can you
estimate, or look at this room and tell us?
Primary Witness: But the
prison was bigger than this place.
Commissioner Syllah: thank
you for coming, you said you carry your children and your grand children, any
thing happen to your grand children?
Primary Witness: Nothing,
I made way for them to come out.
You said they kill they kill the
Nigerians, what happen to the Gahanna?
Primary Witness: All of
them were together, but only God save some of them.
Can you remember the name of the
commander that was here?
Primary Witness: Yes, that
only Oliver Varney I can remember?
If you see Oliver, will you
remember him?
Primary Witness: I hear Taylor kill him before the
war finish.
Cochairman: thank you for
coming, is there any thing you want to tell us to help us do our work?
Primary Witness: Yes, I
want to tell the TRC to help us, all our houses burn, and have a farm, and want
for your to help me maintain my farm.
Seventeenth Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Public Hearings in
Tubmanburg, Bomi County
Mustapha Abrahim Nyei
(Third Primary Witness of day three)
The Third Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and he was accompanied by the psychosocial officer
and the protections officer of the TRC. The Primary Witness was then sworn to
tell the truth and nothing but the truth by the TRC Hearings Officer.
Co-Chair: Thank God that you were able to come here
today; what you have to say will help us with our job. Please tell us your
name:
Primary Witness: My name is Mustapha Abrahim Nyei.
What is your date of birth?
Primary Witness: I was born on January 18, 1948.
What are you doing for living?
Primary Witness: Presently I am doing nothing.
Where do you live?
Primary Witness: I live in Chocolate
City, Monrovia but I have a village here and I
usually come here.
Primary Witness: I will have to start from 1979, in
1979, I saw Gabriel Baccus Matthews came here and said that he had a political
party call the Peoples' Progressive Party (PPP)" and it did not take too long when
his party carried on an demonstration but I do not know the reason of the
demonstration; later President Tolbert caught them and jailed all of them. We
also heard that President had planned a trip abroad few days but unfortunately,
we heard on 12th April 1980 in the morning that Samuel K. Doe had
killed and overthrew his government.
The next day, we saw many
soldiers and we started following and they said that they were going to break
down all the Society Buildings in Bomi
County. We followed them
and we went to the UBF building and we saw skull of human being in their
building. They also broke the building of the societies. After that, I decided
to join them to Monrovia
but they said that before I can join them, I should go and see the dead boy of
President Tolbert. We went straight to the JKP hospital and I saw the body of
Tolbert with a girl of about 7 years also dead right by him at the hospital.
After few days, they said that they were going to kill some government Minister
and they were Richard Herries and others. They put them on the poles near the
beach at the BTC Barrack in Monrovia
and shut them on the poles.
In the 1985 presidential
elections, President Doe announced himself as the winner. After few years, we
heard in 1989 that a rebel group headed by one Charles Taylor had entered Liberia.
Few months later, we saw the NPFL soldiers arrived here and they invited
everybody to the town hall, but I was not feeling good to go there that day.
But according to those that went there, the rebel soldiers gave them some money
with three cows so that they can party together. Later, when the people were
happy, the soldiers started shooting into the building and they killed 327
persons in the hall. In 1990, they took
us from our village and we went in the bushes. I went to my mother's home in Cape Mount
County but the citizens
in the village said that my name was not Vai name but Mandingo and so I should
find another place to hide myself. I left and came in Bomi Hills, when I got
here in 1991, is used to sent some money to my mother in Cape Mount.
One day, Charles Taylor came here
with Foday Sankor and as soon as they got here, they invited everybody to the
town hall again. When people got there, a woman called Mrs. Hilton a wife of
the Late Judge Mr. Hilton came and reported to Taylor that her husband died in the war and
that the soldiers had taken her from her house. Taylor immediately gave the woman L$1000.00
and ordered that those in the house quickly leave it and they gave her house
back to her.
We started hearing again that
another rebel group was coming; it was not too long when the ULIMO did their
first attack. Taylor
came here, the second attack on August 16, I told my wife and other family
members for us not go anywhere but the rest of the people convinced me and we
all left and went to Marlokor. We were there for 21 days and we observed that
the soldiers started killing people with cutlasses. They caught one old man
called Varney Kanneh and beat him severely and he later died.
On September 16, they asked us to
move and while we were going. My mother-in-law was very old so I asked my wife
for us to leave her down but she refused and so we started carrying her but got
to a point and we had to leave her down. When we reached where we were going,
when I came back for her, I saw that they had killed her and cut her hands and
legs. We met one of the commanders and he asked us to bury the bodies. When I
looked, I saw about 28 dead bodies including my mother-in-law with her hands
and legs cutoff and we bury them in shadow grave.
I told my brother for us to come
back Bomi, but at the time, ULIMO was in control because they the NPFL soldiers
were treating us very bad. We started our joining and came to Managokpai and we
came to Bomi and we saw ULIMO here. Among the ULIMO fighters, I saw one of my
old friends and we met their commander Siafa Gray and they were very friendly.
March 24th, ULIMO
divided, before that they invited us and I told them that Krahn and Mandingo
are brothers I said that there were three brothers and some other people. When
they divided, my wife left in it, later, ECOMOG came and we went on ECOMOG
base; Lutheran world service started feeding. August 94, we went Monrovia; there we left
until the war war-1, War war-2 and war war-3 came to your place and we had more
displace came, and food business became tough. We were there until UNMIL came.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Co-Chairman: The thing you
have done, it is a big things the way you talked for plenty people who are
unable to talk because they are dead.
Commissioner Syllah: You said that you were at BTC when
they killed Henries and others; please tell us what you saw there that day?
Primary Witness: They put them on the poles near
the beaches and they shot them, but Henries died before.
They tied their faces?
Primary Witness: No
What they did with the body?
Primary Witness: they buried the bodies in a shallow grave
You saw Tolbert body, what
happened to him?
Primary Witness: I saw that his stomach was opened
with a child about 7years dead by him too.
You went Lofa?
Primary Witness: Yes
You went Buntor?
Primary Witness: No, I
stopped Barkidu
How many persons were killed in
Barkindu?
Primary Witness: 337
You remember the soldiers that
killed the Ministers?
Primary Witness: Yes, some of them are living
You said they attack your
village?
Primary Witness: NPFL went and shot in the air and we ran away
and they took all we had including my three cars.
They did anything?
Primary Witness: They looted all our things besides, that when
war got to Sierra Leone,
they came here and killed 7 persons; the commanders were CO-Kortor, Dixon, ect
When you went to your mother
town, what the people say?
Primary Witness: They said the name I was using was not a via
name so I should find place to name of your father.
Primary Witness: Abraham Nyei
Whey they treated Mrs. Hilton
like that?
Primary Witness: No reason
What happened to her?
Primary Witness: I don't know
Commissioner Washington: Were you member of PPP?
Primary Witness: No, I was here and the demonstration happened
in Monrovia.
Where were you doing the
demonstration?
Primary Witness: In Monrovia
Where you near the area?
Primary Witness: I saw people passing and looting people
things.
What were you doing?
Primary Witness: I was one of Arabic teacher
What was the name of the old man
killed?
Primary Witness: Old man Varney Kanneh
Name of your mother in-law?
Primary Witness: Ma Garlee Kamara
How your wife died?
Primary Witness: she died
as a result of child birth
What was her name?
Primary Witness: She was
Asatta Kromah
Name of brother?
Primary Witness: Mohammed Nyei
You say your aunty was married to
Henries, how was Henries death affect her
Primary Witness: She went almost crazy- Ma Zoe
She had children?
Primary Witness: Yes, Omaru and Zoe
Where they used to live in Monrovia and people
trouble them?
Primary Witness: Yes, in old road, where Zoe way living?
Henries had two families?
Primary Witness: Yes Ma Kula and Ma Zoe
What happened to your aunty?
Primary Witness: She went off her head and died later.
Can you explain what they did to
Mrs. Hilton?
Primary Witness: I did not
go there the people who went there said the soldiers nicked her.
Can you explain about what they did to Mrs. Hilton?
Primary Witness: I did not go there, but
people that went there said that the soldiers nicked her and took her from the
house again.
You know what happen to her 7 children?
Primary Witness: I do not know.
You know anything about one of Mrs. Hilton's son?
Primary Witness: I said that I was not
there, I only heard about that.
What was the last name for Ma Zoe?
Primary Witness: Her full name was Ma
Zoe Sonnie.
Commissioner Coleman: you say your father was a Mandingo man and
your mother a Via woman?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Anyone of your relatives died in the war?
Primary Witness: Yes.
How many brothers and sister you have?
Primary Witness: We were 44 brothers and
sisters.
You say two of your brothers died in the war when they went
to go look for food?
Primary Witness: Yes.
How many children do you have?
Primary Witness: I have 16 children.
All the children are from one mother?
Primary Witness: No.
Why were you following the demonstrators?
Primary Witness: I did not follow them,
I went to the hospital and I saw them passing on the road.
But how did you know that they were going around?
Primary Witness: Because I saw the
passing.
You say you saw human skull in the UBF building?
Primary Witness: Yes, when
Doe toke over, he decided to break down all the society buildings in Liberia
and when they came here, we went to the UBF building and when they broke it, we
saw the human skull.
You noticed anything like people losing during the society
time?
Primary Witness: Yes, infact, one morning,
we saw one of my friends son dead with parts extracted.
Where NPFL gathered all the citizens and gave them three
cows and some money and later decided to kill them?
Primary Witness: It was in Barkidu,
Voinjama District.
They received the cows and money before they killed them?
Primary Witness: Yes.
You say one of your brothers died in that mascara?
Primary Witness: No, I said that one of my uncle's son called
Sekou Nyei.
You say where the 28 persons were killed?
Primary Witness: They were killed in Bandakor.
Which faction did the killings?
Primary Witness: It was the NPFL forces, they killed the
people with cutlasses and at the time, they had these gays there as their
bosses: Dixon Wollo, Bad Child, Kadafi.
What year was that?
Primary Witness: It happened in August 2002.
You said that ULIMO split?
Primary Witness: Yes.
What caused their separation?
Primary Witness: It was one man called
T-Kallar, a Krahn man who used to killed most of the Mandingo boys at most of
the check points and the other Mandingo boys started revenging.
You say which faction was forcing your to carry your and you
changed direction?
Primary Witness: It was the NPFL
They forced your to follow them?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Was Mrs. Hilton killed in that incidence?
Primary Witness: I cannot say anything whether she died or
not, I was not there.
Commissioner Konneh: Please accept our sympathy for the deaths of
your people. Where was the UBF building that your saw the human skull in?
Primary Witness: Right here in Tubmanburg, Bomi County.
You know the Pearl
you talked about?
Primary Witness: I only knew the names of the Ministers but I
did not know them personally.
So you mean what you heard from people is what you are
telling us?
Primary Witness: Yes.
You say you were not at the Barkidu massacre?
Primary Witness: Yes, it was my uncle who survived told me the
story and I know that he will not lie.
Who were the commanders for NPFL when they were in your
area?
Primary Witness: The commanders were General Varney, Dixon and One-Man-One.
You say these people with your eyes?
Primary Witness: Yes, we used to meet at Darki's store it was
there they used to tell us their stories.
You remember the number of the people they killed?
Primary Witness: Yes, I saw 92 dead bodies of Ghanaians and
they forced us to bury them.
You saw Foday Sankor face-to-face?
Primary Witness: Yes, I can be able to draw Sankor, here was
his base we used to meet on a daily basis.
What do you mean about base?
Primary Witness: It was here he used to take his men from to
go and fight in Sierra Leone.
They told us that Liberia
was not their only mission and from Liberia,
they will go in Sierra Leone,
Gambia, Guinea and Ivory Coast.
Where is the Barnakor you are talking about?
Primary Witness: From Fassi, it is about 2 hours walk it is in
Bomi County, Mana Clan, Klay district.
Your buried the bodies?
Primary Witness: Yes, we buried them in shadowed grave because
we were hungry.
They killed all the people in one place?
Primary Witness: No, they killed them alone the rout.
Do you still remember the spot where they killed all these
people?
Primary Witness: Yes.
What to your in Nyomon
Town?
Primary Witness: When we got in the town, we met Bill Arcar
and he took good care of us.
How many times Charles Taylor came here?
Primary Witness: Only one time Taylor came here and he spent 9 days.
How your welcome him?
Primary Witness: They same way you can welcome big person.
What was the complain Mrs. Hilton made to Taylor?
Primary Witness: She said, her husband died in the war and she
has 7 children and the his fighters had taken her house from her.
What happened to her when Charles Taylor left?
Primary Witness: The same fighters went back to her and beat
her and nicked her and put her outside of the house.
Have you heard about her since that time?
Primary Witness: No.
After elections and Taylor
became President, has Mrs. Hilton come here?
Primary Witness: I did not come here so I do not know.
Which fighting group came in your
area first?
Primary Witness: It was the NPFL soldiers but
later, all the other factions came here.
What they did here?
Primary Witness: They looted all our belongings.
Who did the looting?
Primary Witness: It was ULIMO-J who wrote on the
wall of our mosque and said that Mandingo people are dogs; and they took all
the zinc from over our houses.
Since you came, where are you
living?
Primary Witness: I am presently living in Monrovia.
What is your feeling about war
and security?
Primary Witness: I have very bad feelings.
What do you think is the way
forward?
Primary Witness: I think we need to educate our
children; like in Ivory
Coast, they fought war there but the people
did not destroy their properties because they are educated and they love their
country; it is the ignorance causing all the problems here.
If you were asked as to the
cause(s) of the war, what will you say?
Primary Witness: I will say that it was as a result
of the past government behavior; years back, there was no high school from here
always the way to Mano River, 9th grade was the highest level of
education for the people from the hinter lands and from there, they will go
look for small, small work to do.
What is the lesson you have
learned from the war?
Primary Witness: What I
have learned is that we need not to pay debt with bad, that's what the Koran
thought me. We must learn to forgive each other.
Commissioner Bull: Are you an Imam?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Do you have any relationship with
Osman Nyei who toke your statement?
Primary Witness: Yes.
In what language you gave your
statement?
Primary Witness: It was in Vai.
When you left Bomi Hills?
Primary Witness: I left in 1994.
When you came back to Bomi Hills?
Primary Witness: I used to come ago starting 2002.
What year Taylor
came in Bomi County?
Primary Witness: He came here in 1993.
Where he passed to come here?
Primary Witness: He came by way of Bopolu and Saw
Mill to Tubmanburg.
Did he come here with Foday
Sankor?
Primary Witness: No, he met Sankor here, Sankor was
stationed here.
Was it the same day Taylor ordered his boys to
go and attack Bo Water Side?
Primary Witness: No, Taylor spent 9 days here.
How do you know that a total
number of 338 people were killed?
Primary Witness: It was my uncle who survived came
and told me the story and I trust that he would not lie to me.
Commissioner Coleman: You said the commander at the time during the
Barkidu massacre was a female?
Primary Witness: Yes.
What is the name of the girl?
Primary Witness: No.
Commissioner Dolopei: Which of the ULIMO was here in Bomi?
Primary Witness: It was ULIMO-J remained here after
they burnt ULIMO-K armor building they escaped and went towards Bopolu.
Do you have any idea about the 90
days war in Bomi?
Primary Witness: Yes, I think it was caused by
ECOMOG supporting the ULIMO-J faction.
What happened to the civilians
here?
Primary Witness: We heard that they killed most of
the people that were here.
Now you have told us your
experience, is there anything that you want to tell us?
Primary Witness: Yes, what I know is that we
started hating each other before the war; so your try and put us together and
when we are together, we will not get in this kind of problems again.
Eighteenth Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Public Hearings in
Tubmanburg, Bomi County
Varney Sesay
(Fourth
Primary Witness of day three)
The Fourth Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and she was accompanied by the psychosocial officer
and the protections officer of the TRC. The Primary Witness was then sworn to
tell the truth and nothing but the truth by the TRC Hearings Officer.
Co-Chairman: we say
welcome and thanks for coming to the TRC. we happy that you came, because we
are all here to find out all that has happen in the past, so in that way we
will find peace for us Liberians and al our children in the future. What is
your full name?
What is your name?
Primary Witness: My name
is Varney Sesay.
Where do you live?
Primary Witness: I live
Via Town-two Tubmanburg.
When were you born?
Primary Witness: I was
born during Barclay time.
What do you do for a living?
Primary Witness: I am not
doing any thing now because I am blind but my wife can do everything for me.
Primary Witness: We were here the
Charles Taylor people the came and they were shooting gun and I Mandingo so I
run away, and here was one Gio man with me. One day we were making argument and
the man say he will make they will kill me and I said you been here with me
then you say they will kill me. So I ran away I go in the bush I was having
plenty money. The Liberian dollar was 25 thousand and the US 15 thousand.
So I took a road I was going to Swen Mecca and he told some people he say you
go infront of him then when I go look I hear say halt, you are a Mandingo and they took all my things
and they put rope in my hands and they bring me to Bomi Hill.
They tell the people say we bring Mandingo Dog, that
time we were four and they were saying gave me six feet and they started and I
na die, then they say this old man get gun prove, they say you we will Debedie
you. Then one man he get white car and they put me inside and one woman was in
the car with shining cloth and the woman say where your carrying these people,
they say we going Debedie them and she say your put them down, so they put us
down and they carry us to the waterside and one other man came in the car and
they say we bring Mandingo dogs to kill them and they started shooting then the
man say you are you Mandingo man I na talk. Then there was one Gio boy he knew
me long time and he carry us and we sleep then in the morning he came to me he
say Mr. Varney every body can die the same time, your can go and I say you say
I can go and he say yes. When I get up I wanted to go to my house in Via Town
#2 but one man say the people that came they plenty so go and find a place to
hide, so I left and I went in the bush to hide.
I went to Quinni
Town where I was and they
say cease fire but I na come in town and I was there and we started making farm
and we were there for a long time, we use to go in the bush and find food to
eat there. That I where we were when they went and collected we and bring we
here to the town, that is what I can explain that what happen.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Commissioner Syllah: I
thank you very much and we say sorry. The friends that were with you, what
happen to them?
Primary Witness: When they
free us every body went on their own.
Do you know who took your money?
Primary Witness: I don't
know them
You use to see before?
Primary Witness: Yes
Can you tell us why you can't see
now?
Primary Witness: Breaking
heart
Have you been to hospital?
Primary Witness: Yes
Do you have any relative?
Primary Witness: Yes, my
wife they kill my brother
Why they kill him?
Primary Witness: They say
that Mandingo man
What is the name of your wife?
Primary Witness: Masatta
Sesay, Mabudu Sesay, Lusue Kanneh
What kill them?
Primary Witness: They say
that hunger kill them
What's about your children?
Primary Witness: They
scatter because they say I die but they have come back now.
How many came back?
Primary Witness: Two boys
and my old lady
What is the name of the old lady?
Primary Witness: Tenneh
Commissioner Coleman: How
many children you have all together?
Primary Witness: Six
children
Your three wives that die, is it
because of the war?
Primary Witness: No.
The old lady, is she your fourth
wife?
Primary Witness: Yes
The plenty money you had, what
money was it, business or what?
Primary Witness: Yes, I
get diamond creek
The three children how old are
they?
Primary Witness: Mamie she
born, the two boys now born too
Commissioner Konneh: You
said your old lady, what is her name?
Primary Witness: Tenneh
Your three children, what are
they doing now?
Primary Witness: I told
them to make farm to my village
The David who was working with
you, where is he now?
Primary Witness: He die
How he die?
Primary Witness: They say
he was sick and they brought he here he die
The Francis who help to free you,
where is he?
Primary Witness: He was
the commander to new road
Did he know about the money?
Primary Witness: I don't
know
Where are your houses?
Primary Witness: They are
here but they sweep everything form it.
When ULIMO came, did they kill anyone?
Primary Witness: I will
not lie just how you can juke fish in the water,
When they brought your, did they
do anything?
Primary Witness: They give
us food.
ULIMO did not do any bad thing?
Primary Witness: Yes
Were you here when LURD came?
Primary Witness: We were
to the village when we heard the people were coming and we went to Bassa
village and heard RPG and they came and told us to go with them.
Did they do any bad thing?
Primary Witness: No
The Doctor who came on the ship,
did you go there?
Primary Witness: Yes they
give us medicine
Can you see clear?
Primary Witness: No I
can't see clear.
Commissioner Bull: Thank
you for coming to tell us your story. The thing shack tell you, don't worry
things that you can't handle you give it to God, so stop worrying. Tell your
old lady thanks and God bless her.
Co-chairman: Before you
go, is there anything or advise?
God must bless your. God must
give your long life and your children your left behind God must bless
them.
Nineteenth Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Public Hearings in
Tubmanburg, Bomi County
Oldman Musa Pewee
(Fifth Primary Witness of day three)
The Fifth Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and he was accompanied by the psychosocial officer
and the protections officer of the TRC. The Primary Witness was then sworn to
tell the truth and nothing but the truth by the TRC Hearings Officer.
Co-chairman: Pewee, we
want to thank you for coming and welcome. This work here where you see us
doing, they say we must go all around the country to take record down. So thank
you for helping us do our work.
Can you call your name again?
Primary Witness: My name
is Old man Musa Pewee.
Can you tell us when you were
born?
Primary Witness: I was born 1973.
Where do you live?
Primary Witness: I live in
Besao.
Can you tell us what you do for
living?
Primary Witness: I am a
taper.
Primary Witness: During
the war, I was living with my pa in Bong mines. 1990, after the 1990 over, I
came to my old ma place in the interior. Dissident war came, dissident war
came, me, my old ma and my sister we were walking, dissident arrested my father
and they told him to carry they loads. When they carry him with their loads, it
say long, I cant see my pa again, so I
say let me go look for him, when I went to look for my pa, I saw one of my
friends, he was soldier, he say I saw your pa oh, but the kill him. So my self,
I was sacred, so I saw one of my friends, he was a soldier. So he told me say,
the way the man them kill your father, maybe you will be the next person so come
and join, so my self that how come I join and I started fighting.
Commissioner Washington:
sorry about the death of your father, I will ask you some question, I want you
to relax and feel free. When the war came 1990, you were in Bong Mines, any
thing happen to you?
Primary Witness: No.
Which war came that you call
dissident war?
Primary Witness: That was
LURD forces.
About was 2003, can you remember
the time?
Primary Witness: That was
the beginning of the year.
Do you have any ideal why they
arrested your father?
Primary Witness: Yes, but
he did nothing, because they had the gun.
The people that arrested your
father, what were they wearing?
Primary Witness: Red t
shirt and jeans.
Who arrested your father?
Primary Witness: NPFL.
How do you know they were NPFL?
Primary Witness: Because
LURD had not reached that far.
Where did they arrest him?
Primary Witness: St. Paul
Bridge.
Do you know the name of their
commander?
Primary Witness: Yes, that
was Vamuyan Sheriff.
What did he do, or say?
Primary Witness: I did not
hear him speak.
But who arrested him?
Primary Witness: One of
the soldiers.
And where did you do?
Primary Witness: That
time, I was a civilian, so me and my mother just walk.
Where did you go?
Primary Witness: We went
to SKD sport complex as displace.
The person who told you they kill
your father who was he?
Primary Witness: He was my
friend, and he was in the government troop.
Can you tell us his name?
Primary Witness: Yes, his
name is Innocent.
He said how did they kill him?
Primary Witness: He said
they shoot him, when he was standing there and he even said I know the son of
this man.
Did he tell you where exactly
they kill him?
Primary Witness: No, I can
tell.
Then how are you sure he die?
Primary Witness: Because
even when I join the army, I went as far as Vaihun to look for him, but I never
saw him.
But has the family ask for more
details about how your father died?
Primary Witness: No.
But is he alive?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Where is he now?
Primary Witness: He is on
the high way around sac' town in one town call Ganganma.
So her is you mother now?
Primary
Witness: She is with me.
Which group did you join?
Primary Witness:
Government troop.
So why did you join?
Primary Witness: To
protect my family.
What are some of your experience?
Primary Witness: Well, I
fought, I will not lie, I kill but soldiers.
Where did you fight?
Primary Witness: I fought
as far as Vaihun.
So where did you started fighting
from?
Primary Witness: I started
fighting from Bomi
County.
Are you from Bomi?
Primary Witness: Yes.
So what was you position in Bomi
here?
Primary Witness: I was
their commander.
What was your responsibility?
Primary Witness: I was
responsible for the soldiers because no civilian was here.
How did you mother feel when you
join the war?
Primary Witness: She was
feeling bad, but I went and explain to her.
Commissioner Coleman:
thank you for coming to the TRC. What happen to your brothers and sister?
Primary Witness: They are
ok, and we are 10.
Are you married?
Primary Witness: Yes.
You got children?
Primary Witness: Yes, I
have 2 children.
Did you marry after the war or
before the war?
Primary Witness: I got
marry after the war.
They arrested your father, was he
supporting any warring faction?
Primary Witness: No, I
never knew anything about gun.
But why did they arrest him?
Primary Witness: Some
things, if you are bad lucky, they will stop you and kill him.
When did you join?
Primary Witness: I join
2003.
Did you decide to join or some
body force you?
Primary Witness: My friend
encouraged me to join and he said after this one, maybe they will harm you.
So how did you get there?
Primary Witness: I follow
the man, when their pick came I got in it to Congo town.
How did you go through there war,
did you go through a form of training?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Who was your trainer?
Primary Witness: That was
Turtle bone.
Where did you train?
Primary Witness: I train
right in Congo
town behind turtle bone's house.
Did you get to k now the name of
the man that killed your father?
Primary Witness: No,
because if was going to see him, surely I was going to kill him.
So did you people do any thing to
civilian?
Primary Witness: No,
civilians were never there.
What was the name of your group?
Primary Witness: Na?ve
division.
How many men were under you?
Primary Witness: 11 men
making one squad.
Who was your immediate boss?
Primary Witness: My boss
was Roland duo.
And who was his boss?
Primary Witness: He use to
report to Charles Taylor.
Did you people have
communication?
Primary Witness: Yes, we
had hand set and base phone.
What was you code?
Primary Witness: Our code was Tango one
And who was tango 2?
Primary Witness: That was
Vamuyan Sheriff.
Was his rank equal to Roland Duo?
Primary Witness: No,
Roland Duo was over hi.
Commissioner Konneh: thank
you for coming, and sorry for the death of your father. You said it was the
government troops that kill your father in other to protect your father?
Primary Witness: Yes.
How long did you stay here?
Primary Witness: I stay
here for 4 months.
What do you know about Mahir?
Primary Witness: No, that
time I was not here.
Where were you?
Primary Witness: I was in Monrovia.
What was the month you stay here?
Primary Witness: I can't
tell you the month.
How far is Gaite's town to Mahir?
Primary Witness: It is
about one hour walk.
Then how come you don't know
about Mahir?
Primary Witness: Because
when I came and spent4 months here, they assign me to Viahun and then I went to
Monrovia to
take pay.
Did you come back?
Primary Witness: Yes, I
came back.
What was you mission in Gaites
town?
Primary Witness: I was
assign there to block the road, because it was a by pass to go to Gbarpolu.
What rank did they give you from
Gaites town?
Primary Witness: I was a
captain.
What was your position before you
came to Gaites town?
Primary Witness: I was a
private.
When you went to Lofa, what did
you do?
Primary Witness: I fought.
What was your mission?
Primary Witness: My
mission was to set arm bush for one week.
Who sent you?
Primary Witness: Roland
Duo sent me.
Do you know that Roland was
involved in the Mahir?
Primary Witness: I don't
know.
Did you come in contact with
civilians?
Primary Witness: No, I
only arrested civilian if they did some thing wrong.
And who was your boss man?
Primary Witness: My boss
man is Roland Duo.
What were some of the wrongs that
were done to you that you had to take to a 5 star general?
Primary Witness:
Sometimes, they will look at you, and insult you, and you don't discipline, it
is not common.
Commissioner Bull: I will
ask from the questions of my colleagues. You said, you join to kill the man
that kill your father, even if you see him, will you kill him?
Primary Witness: Yes, if I
had seen him, we were going to fight.
You said you kill soldiers, and
those soldiers are people's father, incase they see you should they kill you?
Primary Witness: That was
war, and we were fighting.
So what do you want those people
to do to you?
Primary Witness: That was
war, and every thing is over, we have to forget about everything.
Are you sorry for killing the
lives you took away?
Primary Witness: I was not
feeling good, but that was war, and I felt sorry.
How old were you when you were
fighting?
Primary Witness: I was28
years old.
You came today to testify, first
you were a victim, and secondly, you join the same group that kill your father
and they say we should bring victims and perpetrators to bring one
understanding. And at the end of the day, we are suppose to give
recommendations, so you suffer from the war, you also participated in the war.
What recommendation will you give to me, to do my work?
Primary Witness: Since the
war is over, we will talk to all the people that they did bad to and move on.
If war should come again, will
you fight?
Primary Witness: No.
So from the depth of your heart,
you are sorry?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Didn't you get in the car when
they were going?
Primary Witness: No, when
they going, they will not stop.
But you said, you use to report,
how did you report?
Primary Witness: I use to
come to Bomi to tell the boss.
Commissioner Washington:
you
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