Commissioners visit Jarwedee, Gbazon Statutory District

Upon the arrival, a program was held where statements and remarks were made. The welcome remake was done by Old man Somah Gbazon. Doing the traditional welcome remarks, cola nuts was given to the chairman as a welcome to Jarwedee Gbazon District. A special statement was given by the District supreinterdent.Hon. Henry Y. Younis. Given the background history of the district and the conditions of the district. He also stressed on the condition of the road and the effect it has on the citizens. At wish time the chairman of TRC, Hon. Jerome Verdier thanks the people of Jarwedee, Gbarzon Statutory District, and gives the purpose of the TRC visit to the District.

In some other remakes, a lady spoke on behalf of the women group. And she also stressed on the benefits that is withheld from the district because of road conditions, and said the most dishearten thing is after the death of their people they still suffered and are not benefiting from anything. The youth representatives Dempster Karr, who also said that life is a continue process and those who killed their people were still living alone with them in the town but considered it to be bad gone be bad gone.

The 3rd speaker Mr. Samuka, who is the chief of elder requested some recommendations, such as establishing TRC branch in Gbarzon District, road conditions; because of bad roads nothing comes in the district, the mean thing he said is for roads to be open and development to come, and he said the most dishearten thing was, he had a store but because of the war everything was taken away and because of this, he suffers from heart blood pressure. A student by the name of Andee Whyee asked for assistance, according to her, she said her father was killed and wants for TRC to help with her schooling. An old soldier by the name of Amos Barclay, who joined the AFL since 1988, said a brother next to him was killed right in Jahwedee Gbarzon district. And his two brothers also got missing.

A lady also by the name of Alice came out and said that her husband father and her son were carried away. And also her daughter taken by one Annie to Nimba. And her name is now changed to Patience but her real name is Karyouwen Sartoe. And wants for TRC to come in assisting her in locating her daughter.

While on our way back from Jahwedee, we make a stopped at Gbargua Town where we visited a mass grave site and also took some photos. And in that same town, was a witness who told us a story about fifty persons who was killed in the town and

Including his mother by LPC frightening group.

Witness:

I am Zagba Jeal. I was born January 1970. I am a born citizen of this town. I live in Gbagua town. It happen during the cease fire 199. When we were in exile in the Ivory Coast. So due to some hard time there the family decided to come home that time the cease fire was announced. So we came in while we were here one after noon, in the month of May 24, 1996 late in the evening we were here. Majority of the elders they were sitting under the tree there drinking palm wine. As for me I was sitting right behind the house practicing to plate basket, while plating my basket. God just told me say lift up your head. When I lifted my head, I saw an arm man coming towards me so I decided to run. I run on the right hand side. One house was blocking me right there. So he thought I was passing by the kitchen and I run in the bush. The moment he enter the house, I head firing. People started running; people started escaping, people starting crying. okay at the same time while I was plating the basket I told my mother to come, so she was on her way coming, the very follow that missed me, border with my mother and he fire her. So while I was running going in the bush now when I heard my mother voice crying now I could not come back. I went to go far off. Then she starting calling me Sagbah, Sagbah my son come for me the people now fire me. so I was confused I couldn't come back in town because I myself I was afraid of my life now. so what I did I never went far off there was one big bunch of raff behind my house there where I hid my self. People crying, my uncle on the other side they beating him, torturing him. He and his daughter crying. All over the town people crying. Myself I was afraid now I could not get in the town now because they were plenty. The people were plenty that time the whole group firing in town. Where I hid myself nobody came there because no body knew I was there. The follow that miss me too in the center of the town never came back. So I was just blocking there now trimming until mid night. Very lately when the crying started going down, one of my uncle and his daughter sound came all the way up here at the first house where the firing became. Myself I couldn't get in town because I was afraid. I was there until day because I can see I get light nothing, so when the day started getting clear I ran I went far off. I could not hear my mother crying again. first when it happen, when I want to come back another concisions will bring me back again so I was just standing there until every thing finish. So the next day when I went far off I start looking for other people that escaped. Then I met up with one old man. Then the old man told me say my son I know what happen. But you think we can go in the town? Pappy that night the people were talking, so any body you see now they much not go in the town there. Because I know whether the people still in the town yet. But their talking ceased down maybe they want to see who will come around. so if you see anybody, they much just go far off to certain village where every one of us will meet and see whether we can go far off or we can find our way to reached to Ivory Coast. So went to the village. We were around the village then my little brother junior call PYJ came and say brother you think what we can do? I say no old man we can't cross the water now because gun still firing. Gun firing in the other town there. So maybe they will leave another group in that town there. What we do now, let us just mange to go close to that town so anybody we see we sent the person back in the village. That the best idea there. Because most people were crying in that town. So we left and went to the village. While we were around one, one people start coming in the village. After we realized that we started picking to see whether some of them were still around. That was the third day now we started coming to wards town the 27^th now early in the morning he and myself we came. When we came closer to the then we slow down to see weather some of them was still in town. When we reached in town now, my old zinc house they were finish burning it. So the other man he wrote on the wall NPFL. Then I say that NPFL enter this town, my Peking come see. Then we started seen so of the writing. It was in 96, during the time they announced the cease fire. My Peking say but they were speaking Gio. When they enter the other town, that Gio they were speaking. The other people them they were speaking mano. That the Nimbania that enter here. We started inquiring and we became to hull other people that very 27^th, we started grouping people to do the burier. Immediately after the burier we our self we left the town and went back in the bush. The total number of dead body that

Was buried that was fifty (50). We have three (3) different grave sites. One other old man who was trying to run away, that got shot with bullets in him drop right on the town road and died. Secondly, my uncle John Quanah and his daughter they beat them and torture them and they thought they died. they cut him all over. Now, now the mark is on him. The mark was shown to us.

Questions by the chairman:

How many grave sites do you have?

Witness: Three sites.

Those that died, are they women, children, and men or only men and women?

Witness: Yes, they were women, men and children.