Back to List of Transcripts
The occasion started with the
singing of the national anthem by the audience followed by words of prayers.
This was immediately followed by opening remark from the Gender Coordinator of
Bong County after which an introduction of all partners and guest present at
the occasion by the TRC Technical Assistant on Children Related Matters Onikeh
Goodings. A selection was done by the children on the TRC after which the
speaker of the National Children Parliament was called to make remark.
Commissioner Syllah the oversight for Children in the TRC Process was then
called upon to introduce the Occasion after which she declared open the
Children Hearings Process in Bong
County.
First Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Children Hearings
Gbarnga, Bong County
Anonymous
(First Primary Witness of the day)
The First Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and was accompanied by the Gender officers 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.
Primary Witness: During
the war me and my people were in Gbolu and one morning we were attacked by the
rebel. They killed a whole lot of people in the town and they brought my father
out and they burned him right in front of me and we went in the bush and later
they went for us and brought us back and my sister was pregnant and they killed
her.
Later we the people who were in
the town they said we should go and look for Opasium and they divided the group
into two eight on each side and my brother was in the other side and my side
got an Opasium and my brother side got no Opasium so what they said they will
kill the other people who never got the Opasium and they killed them and eat
their hearts with the Opasium.
We who were there and we were
afraid and we ran to the Guinea border and later they came there and open fire
and they killed some of my friends and I survived so we were there and we
called the Guineans to help us and they said we were rebels but later they open
the border and took us to Guineas. When we got there the UNHCR came there and
took us to a certain town and they took our names. They took us to a displaced
came and I knew nobody and I use to be crying and one woman came to me and I told
her that they kill all my people in the war so she took me to be with her. There
was not mattress and I use to sleep on the cold ground. They use to supply us
food and I don't know where my mother is. Later the same people came for us and
when the war was over they brought us back to Liberia and the woman who was
taking care of me she had two children and the woman died and I was with the
two children and I use to carry the news around that I was in Gbarnga here and
my uncle came for me.
He said my mother went to Ivory Coast and
I don't know where she is still there and whether she is living so while we
were in town my aunty brought me here and I was with her. But where I am I am
feeling bad because I don't have
anybody, they killed my sister them my brother them and my father the burned
him infront of me and I am a disable child and I am alone that is what is
troubling me. I was here and the TRC people came and they took down my story
and that is how I am here to tell my story today.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Second Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Children Hearings
Gbarnga, Bong County
Anonymous
(Second Primary Witness of the day)
The Second Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and was accompanied by the Gender officers 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.
Chairman: Hello how are
you? We are happy that you are here to talk to the TRC. All the things you told
us to do we have done it so nobody will heart you. We want you to say what you
know the truth and not to lie. There are many people here to hear from you from
Bong County
and all over Liberia.
If you are telling your story don't call the names of your relatives.
Are you a boy or a girl?
Primary Witness: I am a
boy
Is somebody telling you?
Primary Witness: No
What is your age?
Primary Witness: I am 12
What is your birthday?
Primary Witness: I don't
know
How do you know you are 12?
Primary Witness: My mother
told me
Primary Witness: During
the war we were in the town and the MODEL people came in the town and we went
in the village and my mother say go for water and the people came they say tote
(carry) my load if you na tote (carry) it we will kill you I ran in the room to my ma
the people came there I was crying and the other woman put the knife in the fire
and put it on me and I was crying and they juke the knife with my mother and I
went in the town to call the people. And my pa came he wanted to fight and my
pa took the knife and kill the man, then the other man say so you kill my friend
and they were fighting and I was crying and they say nobody must come there so
I ran straight in the town and that is how one aunty came there she take me and
she carry me to Rivercess.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: You are a child, the way they do
all that bad things before you was wrong; when you go, tell your ma sorry.
Primary Witness: My ma
died.
You say your ma died?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Who you staying with now?
Primary Witness: My Pa
sister.
Commissioner Konneh: Sorry for the killing of your Ma, who are the
people who did that thing?
Primary Witness: That was
the Government forces.
You say government forces killed
your Ma?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Your Pa still living?
Primary Witness: Yes.
You staying with your aunty?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Your other brothers and sisters still
living?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Commissioner Stewart: You know the name of the people who killed
your Ma?
Primary Witness: No, but I
know one of the man name.
What is his name?
Primary Witness: His name
is Amos.
He was with the government
forces?
Primary Witness: Yes.
How Amos looking?
Primary Witness: He is
tall.
When the people tied your Pa. what happened?
Primary Witness: He killed
one of them and he took the rope from on his hands.
The government forces were how
many?
Primary Witness: They were
10.
Your Pa beat all the soldiers?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Are you in School?
Primary Witness: Yes.
What grade?
Primary Witness: 1st
Grade.
Are you staying with your Pa?
Primary Witness: No, I
can't see him.
Who you living with?
Primary Witness: I am living
with my aunty in Rivercess.
Commissioner Syllah: You were there when they killed your Ma?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Please tell us how they killed
her.
Primary Witness: The man
juke my Ma with the knife and she died.
They did something to you?
Primary Witness: Yes.
What they did to you?
Primary Witness: The man
burned me with the hot knife and the mark is there.
Your are how many?
Primary Witness: We are
two boys.
Where is your other brother?
Primary Witness: I can't
see him.
Chairman: Your Pa that strong man?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Your Pa fight the 10 men?
Primary Witness: Yes, when
they were shooting, the gun shot finished.
Your Pa was with the government?
Primary Witness: No.
You Pa was with any faction?
Primary Witness: He was
friendly with one.
The sore mark that on your foot
na get better?
Primary Witness: Yes.
You can walk straight?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Now you finished with your story,
you want tell us anything again?
Primary Witness: I do not
have anything to say.
Third Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Children Hearings
Gbarnga, Bong County
Anonymous
(Third Primary Witness of the day)
The Third Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and was accompanied by the Gender officers 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.
Chairman: thank you for
coming, the TRC is trying to find out what children saw and what children did
so that they can find a solution to the problem. What you said we have done it,
we can't see you and you can't see us this is because we don't want anyone to
laugh at you and to target you. When you are telling your story, do not call
you relative name but you can call the names of the bad people.
Are you a boy or a girl?
Primary Witness: I am a
girl
What is your age?
Primary Witness: I am 17
years old
How did you know this?
Primary Witness: I was
told by my father
What is your birthday?
Primary Witness: I was
born December 9, 1990
Primary Witness: It was
the early part of the raining season in 2003 I was selling cassava and I saw
three boys in an old shop called Florida and they called me to buy and when I
reached on of them gave me 300LD and safer he did that the bother 2 hide
themselves and the one that gave me the money told me to take the cassava in
the shop and when I reached there the other two jumped on me and took the money
from my hands and I wanted to shout and he put cloth to my mouth and pulled out
his knife and his gun and said if you make any noise we will kill you.
The other one that was outside
came in and said they should leave me alone and they left me. he said I should
take off my cloths so that he can have me and I said no and he pulled out his
knife and his gun and said he will kill me or call the boys to carry out the
operation. So he tore my cloths and he raped me. After that I was bleeding and
when he saw I was bleeding he said he was going to find medicine for me. After
30 minutes I came to my self and when he noticed nobody was around he left and
that is how I was saved and went home. The next day the shooting was so high
that is how we went in Duport Road Paynesville Monrovia Liberia. The
boys did this because there was no security protection. I am finish.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Fourth Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Children Hearings
Gbarnga, Bong County
Anonymous
(Fourth Primary Witness of the day)
The Fourth Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and was accompanied by the Gender officers 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.
Chairman: thank you for
coming to the TRC. The war divided us and so we are to come together as a
nation and as one people that is the reason why we who were affected by the war
are coming together so that the war will not be repeated again. We are now
finding way of having peace forever. We are here listening to you and we don't
want anybody to see you that is why we are protecting you, in the process you should
not call the names of your relatives.
What is your age?
Primary Witness: 17 years
old
What is your date of birth?
Primary Witness: I don't
know
Are you a male or female?
Primary Witness: I am a
male
Are you in school?
Primary Witness: Yes 6th
grade
Primary Witness: In
December 15 I was in the interior with my people in Pynes town #4 and my aunty
was in Buchanan town so my aunty sent for me for me to go to school. In our
community we had general there. In our community I was use to go to school, but
in our community they had one General there they call him Red Devil Father,
that man can't see student in uniform, if he see you he will run behind you and
they will catch you and sent you on the front.
That man use to disturb us in the
county, that is how MODEL captured and my father was in the interior on #4 and
there was not food for us to eat and we were hunting for food for us to eat so
my father decided to bring food. He was bringing one bag of cassava and one tin
of oil and reaching to Buchanan they stop him and say where you coming from and
he said Payens town #4. They say where are you carrying this thing he said to
my son and they said Papie you are a soldier so they say your tie him and they
tied him ands started beating on him. That was Monday they beat him and on
Tuesday the killed him and they carry him beside the car road and they wrote certain
paper and they say he died from stupidness and they put it on his chest,
So that attack seized down and my
aunty say let us go and look for food an while we were going we reach the
division there was no gate there because they capture the town and so I see the
body of my father because I know my father and I started crying and my aunty
started crying and my aunty say let us go back and we turned around. On our way
coming we met the MODEL they were in the group, that is how I decided to
revenge and I joined the group. I met the man called general Pepper, he has his
base to 416 junction, I was scared but I had to join. We went to #5, one other
man there he was a killer he use to kill innocent so that mind was still in my
heart I was still regretting about my pa and now I am still regretting.
So one woman there he killed her
so my self I was vex but the man that was one of the forces so the general sent
somebody to arrest the man and he was putting on brutality so one of my man
they called Pennu we were there we were in #5, that how come we returned to
Grand Bassa and I was there until the DDRR process and I never disarmed because
if you disarm you can't travel and my mother she was there making farm. They
say if you disarm they will gave you something and I was scare I did not disarm
I was scare so that how the war came.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Fifth Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Children Hearings
Gbarnga, Bong County
Anonymous
(Fifth Primary Witness of the day)
The Fifth Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and was accompanied by the Gender officers 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.
Chairman: you are welcomed
to the TRC; we want you to give us the truth of what happened, how you saw it
and how it happened. Do not call you relatives name when you are talking.
What is your age?
Primary Witness: 17
When were your born?
Primary Witness: June 7th 1990
What class are you in?
Primary Witness: 6th
grade
Sixth Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Children Hearings
Gbarnga, Bong County
Anonymous
(Sixth Primary Witness of the day)
The Sixth Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and was accompanied by the Gender officers 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.
Chairman: you are welcome
to the TRC. We want you to tell you story without mentioning any name because
we know all of them. We just want to hear the story. What is your age?
Primary Witness: I am 16
What is your birthday?
Primary Witness: April 23
1992
Are you a boy or girl?
Primary Witness: I am a
girl
Primary Witness: Before
world war one my grand pa say that he and one man had misunderstanding about
land that is how I went to spent time with him before world war one and the man entered the house
and killed my grand father. When he entered the house he said I will kill you
and I will kill your grand children. That how he killed my grandfather and he
said he was going to kill me. He told me say after killing your grand farther I
will kill you. He told me say get from here if I see you I will kill you. That
I how I left from there and I went to 72nd and later I went to ELWA
and I see the man there again and he said if I see you I will kill you. Then
when I go to school to ELWA I can see him and he say when he see me he will
kill me.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: The man say anywhere he sees you he will kill
you?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Which war that one happened?
Primary Witness: It was the war-war one.
You say the man killed your grand
Pa?
Primary Witness: Yes.
The man was a fighter?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Which group he was fighting for?
Primary Witness: LURD.
You say the man took the deed?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Who the land was for?
Primary Witness: It was for my grand Pa.
Who you living with?
Primary Witness: I am living with my Ma.
Where is your Pa?
Primary Witness: He in the interior.
Your grand Ma was your Ma Pa
or your Pa father?
Primary Witness: He was my Ma Pa.
What your Ma say when the man
took the deed?
Primary Witness: She say I must just forget about
it.
Commissioner Syllah: Thank you for coming, today you have done
something very good; your grand Pa will be very happy that you have talked
about how he was killed. You were there when your grand Pa was killed?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Nobody was there when he was
killing your Grand Pa?
Primary Witness: Yes, only me and my grand Pa were
in the room.
You can see the man?
Primary Witness: Yes, I have seen the man two
times.
You can point at the man to show
him to us?
Primary Witness: Ah! I am scare.
How you felt when they killed
your grand Pa?
Primary Witness: I was feeling bad, if I had the
strength, I was going to kill him.
You can see your Pa?
Primary Witness: No.
You living in Steven Tolbert
estate?
Primary Witness: Yes.
What grade you are in now?
Primary Witness: I am in the seven grade.
How the man killed your grand Pa?
Primary Witness: The man say he want the land my
grand Pa have and my grand Pa say no, so he killed him.
He used gun to kill your grand
Pa?
Primary Witness: No, he used cutlass.
You were there?
Primary Witness: Yes.
What you did?
Primary Witness: I was crying and wanted to go
outside but the man say no.
The man had guns with him?
Primary Witness: Yes, he took the cutlass and cut
my Grand Pa hands and foot.
He took his time to do this?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Never mind, you are very brave to
come and talk about your grand Pa; he is very happy today that you are talking
for him; now we will all clap for you. They were how many fighters?
Primary Witness: They were seven in number.
Seventh Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Children Hearings
Gbarnga, Bong County
Anonymous
(Seventh Primary Witness of the day)
The Seventh Primary Witness of
the day was called to the stand and was accompanied by the Gender officers 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.
Chairman: The child
involved in this story can not talk well due to the incident and her mother who
also does not speak English well will be speaking on her behalf with an
interpreter there to help her. We are happy that you are here to say what
happened to you in the war and it is based on what you say that we will correct
what has happened. we know that you are going to talk for your daughter and we
say sorry but you have to say it so that everybody will hear it and it will
help us so that the war we experience will ot happen anymore. When you finish
we will ask you questions and you will answer for her, but when you are
answering it you will not call any name so that nobody will know who you people
are.
How old is your daughter?
Secondary Witness: She was
born in 1994
What month?
Secondary Witness:
February
Is your daughter in school if so
what class?
Secondary Witness: Yes she
is in school she just started and she is in the K2
Secondary Witness: What happened
in the town called Yoursee town the fighters came and killed the people in the
town, they killed them with cutlass. This girl was 2 years old and she was on
her mother back and they wanted to cut the mother and the cutlass touched the
face of the baby. The mother ran and went to the next town and the brought her
to Buchanan where they put them on plane and carry them to Ganta and did
surgery on the baby.
The people wanted to carry the
baby and the mother said non and the people said the baby will not grow
normally and what they said came to pass, the baby behave abnormally some times
like she is crazy. So that is what happened, and the mother is not living, she
is dead.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: Can you say how your mother was died?
Primary Witness: She got sick and died.
Commissioner Coleman: which group of fighters did that?
Primary Witness: I cannot tell because I was not
around.
Commissioner Syllah: How is Rebecca managing in school when she
has problem, does she communicate with her teachers and friends?
Primary Witness: Yes, some times she interacts with
her friends well and another time, she will act like mad person.
Chairman: Who is caring for the little girl now?
Primary Witness: The bigger sister.
You say her bigger sister taking
care of her?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Is it possible for her to live a
normal life in the future?
Primary Witness: Yes, since she is living from baby
time up to now, I believe she will make it by God's power.
Is she doing well in school now?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Commissioner Syllah: How well she can play with her friends?
Primary Witness: At one point in time, she will act
like a crazy person and another time, she will behave very well.
Have you visited the hospital?
Primary Witness: Yes, I visited a hospital and they
just gave us pills.
Chairman: Thanks for coming to help us with our work.
Is there anything that you want to tell us before you leave?
Primary Witness: Yes, this is why I said I need
medical attention and schooling for the child.
Eighth Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Children Hearings
Gbarnga, Bong County
Anonymous
(Eighth Primary Witness of the day)
The Eighth Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and was accompanied by the Gender officers 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.
Chairman: hello, what
class are you in?
Primary Witness: 9th
grade
What is your date of birth?
Primary Witness: May 14
1984
Are you a boy or a girl?
Primary Witness: I am a
boy
They told you what the TRC is
right?
Primary Witness: Yes
We are here for the truth and we
want you to take your time and tell us the truth about your experience. Apart
from the perpetrator don't call your name or the name of your parents okay
Primary Witness: I will
start with world war III. The government forces leaders use to line up the boys
choose one and kill them and take up their heart and eat it. When he ready then
they will take another boy to take the hearts. One day the Papie was passing by
the gate and the boy want to the Papie and asked for money and he said he na
get money so they say the Papie must say his last prayer and they chief say
they must kill the Papie and after three days the man who killed the Papie his
feet get swollen and he died.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: You say the man feet got solen and he died?
Primary Witness: Yes.
What happened?
Primary Witness: The Papay was holding the
fighter's feet and asking for mercy.
You were there?
Primary Witness: Yes.
And the Papay said his prayers?
Primary Witness: Yes.
The papay was of which religion?
Primary Witness: He was a Muslim man.
Who was responsible for that?
Primary Witness: It was Zig-Zag Mazza.
What he did with the body?
Primary Witness: He ate the heart of the man.
He did this after the war or it
was when the war was fighting?
Primary Witness: He did it before going to the war
front.
Commissioner Konneh: How you managed to know that it was Zig-Zag
Mazza?
Primary Witness: I say, I saw him and my brother as
also there.
You knew him before?
Primary Witness: Yes, I went to visit my mother in
Lofa and that was the time they used to call the name.
Commissioner Stewart: Please describe him?
Primary Witness: He was tall and black.
You knew the people he killed?
Primary Witness: I knew them by their faces.
They complain about Zig-Zag
Mazza?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Who they used to complained him
to?
Primary Witness: They used to tell him.
How many men he had?
Primary Witness: They were plenty.
Commissioner Syllah: How is your grand Ma?
Primary Witness: Alright.
Where do you live?
Primary Witness: I live in the Steven Tolbert
Estate.
Chairman: The war affected anyone of your people?
Primary Witness: No.
Do you have anything to say
before you leave?
Primary Witness: No.
Okay, thank you very much.
Ninth Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Children Hearings
Gbarnga, Bong County
Anonymous
(Ninth Primary Witness of the day)
The Ninth Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and was accompanied by the Gender officers 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.
Chairman: we know that you
are here to tell you story so you should tell us the truth and don't mention
any name okay.
Primary Witness: Are you a
boy or a girl?
Primary Witness: I am a
girl
What is your age?
Primary Witness: I am 16
years old
Are you in school?
Primary Witness: Yes I am
in 6th grade
In 1994 the rebels came to our
town and they were shooting and they went in our house and they shoot my other
when they shoot her I was going to her and they shoot me and it hit my hand. I
was crying and they went and killed my uncle wife and her two children.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: You say we should look for good hospital to do
what?
Primary Witness: To treat my hand.
Your hand?
Primary Witness: Yes.
That the shooting caused it?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Which part of your body?
Primary Witness: My left hand.
The people looked at you and shut
you?
Primary Witness: Yes.
How many times they shut you?
Primary Witness: One time.
You say they killed your uncle
and his children?
Primary Witness: Yes.
You know their ages?
Primary Witness: No, one was older than me and I
was older than one.
Which hand you are writing with
now?
Primary Witness: My right hand.
You can't do anything with the
left hand?
Primary Witness: Yes, when I am working with my
left hand, it can hurt me.
Commissioner Konneh: Which group was responsible?
Primary Witness: It was the LPC people.
You say LPC?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Commissioner Stewart: What year it happened?
Primary Witness: In 1994.
You say 1994?
Primary Witness: Yes.
LPC killed plenty people that
day?
Primary Witness: I think so because it was in the
night.
When day broke, you saw dead
bodies?
Primary Witness: I was not there myself.
They took you to the hospital?
Primary Witness: Yes.
They gave you treatment?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Commissioner Syllah: Do you help your Ma do other things?
Primary Witness: I can help her to sell.
When you can go to school?
Primary Witness: In the morning.
Anything happened to your Ma?
Primary Witness: Yes, they shut my Ma and when I
saw the blood I decided to go there and while I was going to her, they shut me
too.
You get other brothers and
sisters?
Primary Witness: Yes, I have brother.
You say they shut you and your
Ma?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Your blood was wasting and no
body came to help your?
Primary Witness: No, nobody came to help us.
What's about the next day?
Primary Witness: Some people help to take us to the
hospital.
You say you in 6th
grade?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Who paying your school fees now?
Primary Witness: My Pa.
So you want to stay in school?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Have you been to the hospital
after that?
Primary Witness: No.
Your still get the paper from the
hospital?
Primary Witness: Ah!, except I ask my Pa.
Tenth Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Children Hearings
Gbarnga, Bong County
Anonymous
(Tenth Primary Witness of the day)
The Tenth Primary Witness of the
day was called to the stand and was accompanied by the Gender officers 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.
Chairman: you are welcome
to the TRC after you leave from here nobody will know you were here. Talk
freely and don't lie when you are talking, we want you say what happened and
don't lie.
What is your age?
Primary Witness: I am 15
My mother little sister by the
name of Nancy Bantoe was killed in Relight , Monrovia. Her stomach was opened in my
present, at that time she was pregnant. We came from Red light. And we were
going to our church, the Apostice Truth church when this occurred. This took
place during the MODEL war. The soldiers that committed the act were in soldier's
army uniforms. They killed the woman for no reason they were huge in number.
After the rebels have killed the woman we started crying, but before she could
be killed, she called my mother's name several times. My mother now lives in
the Ivory Coast.
She is a living witness to this story. The rebels were speaking English. My
father lives in Saryah town. In time of war again, I will escape because I
don't want to die. I don't want to see dead bodies again. I planed to revenge
for the death.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: The woman was related to you?
Primary Witness: Yes.
She was your Ma sister?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Your Ma was there that day/
Primary Witness: Yes.
You say your aunty called your
mother over and over?
Primary Witness: Yes.
What your Ma did?
Primary Witness: She bent down and cried.
What the soldiers did?
Primary Witness: They say she must get out off
there and go away.
The fighters were MODEL?
Primary Witness: I do not know.
What year it happened?
Primary Witness: In 2003.
Where it happened?
Primary Witness: In Red Light.
You say your Ma is in Ivory Coast?
Primary Witness: She has come back.
You living with her?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Commissioner Stewart: Thank you for coming; I am sorry for the
deaths of your aunty. Do you remember any of the soldiers?
Primary Witness: No.
The fighters were wearing
uniforms?
Primary Witness: No.
You say they were wearing what?
Primary Witness: They wear common-flat.
Your buried your aunty?
Primary Witness: Yes.
The soldiers allowed your to
carry the body and buried it?
Primary Witness: Oh! No, nobody went there.
You get brothers and sisters?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Commissioners Syllah: Thanks for coming to speak unbehalf of your
aunty, you are a very good boy; please extend our sympathy to her. Your aunty
that died had other children?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Who taking care of the children
now?
Primary Witness: She born only one girl child and
my mother is taking care of her, she is 5 years and 8 months old.
You say you want revenge?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Please tell your Ma sorry.
Chairman: Hello, we all here say thank you very much;
thank you fro coming to talk for your aunty, wherever her body is she will be
very happy; thanks very much.
Eleventh Primary Witnesses of the TRC
Children Hearings
Gbarnga, Bong County
Anonymous
(Eleventh Primary Witness of the day)
The Eleventh Primary Witness of
the day was called to the stand and was accompanied by the Gender officers 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.
Chairman: you are welcome
to the TRC, we are so happy that you came, it is just that we can't see you and
you can't see us, because we don't want people to go and ask you mother why you
came here. When you are talking don't call you people name but you can call the
bad people name.
Are you in school?
Primary Witness: Yes
What class are you in?
Primary Witness: I am in 2nd
grade
Primary Witness: During
the 2003 war we were in our village and the MODEL came there in Nimba, the time
they came there we were having our goat and sheep them and we hide it and they
ran away and came in town. When it came in town we were not know and the people
them left two people on the road and they came they asked my ma them say your
bring all the thing what your get and my ma say we na have anything and they
took the goat and they baby and ma say your gave me the goat baby and they say
if she follow them they will kill her.
We leave the town and went to
another town and we were to the water side fishing and causing plenty noise and
the people them came and they started beating my brother them and my pa them
and they came and brought the gun and show it to us and say if your move we
will kill you.
Then we move there and we went on
the farm and ma pa came and said we will not stay here we will go to Guinea
and that the place we were we just came.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: You say that 2003 your went to Guinea?
Primary Witness: Yes.
When your came back from Guinea?
Primary Witness: That one week here now.
Commissioner Stewart: Thanks for coming. The people called their
names?
Primary Witness: No, they can only called their
friends in secret, when they blow their trumpet, they will come.
What all they took from your?
Primary Witness: They took our goats.
They killed anybody?
Primary Witness: No.
They forced people to carry their
loads?
Primary Witness: Yes.
They beat and tied people?
Primary Witness: Yes, they tied my brother and Pa.
How many of your big brothers
they tied?
Primary Witness: That the other big one that was
with us in the village.
They carried any woman?
Primary Witness: No.
They did not leave anything with
your?
Primary Witness: Yes, they carried all.
Chairman: They did not do anything to you?
Primary Witness: Yes.
You say that Guinea your went?
Primary Witness: Yes.
You were not going to school?
Primary Witness: No, I was going to school.
How was life in Guinea?
Primary Witness: Alright.
Your had food?
Primary Witness: Yes.
What one that really hurt your
heart that you came to the TRC?
Primary Witness: That the way they beat my Pa and
brother.
Anything you want to say before
you leave?
Primary Witness: Nothing, I just want to tell your
thank you.
Back to List of Transcripts
|
