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Day Four of the TRC Public Hearings
Greenville City, Sinoe County
Friday 14 March, 2008
The Second Day of the TRC Public Hearings Proceedings held on Friday March 14, 2008 at the Greenville City Hall, Sinoe 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 his testimony.
Twenty-eighth Primary Witnesses of the TRC Public Hearings in
The First 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. He was accompanied by a translator.
Chairman: good morning and welcome to the TRC public hearings and for taking up your time to come to the hearings to tell your story to the people of Liberia, Sinoe County and the Commissioners of the TRC. We are happy to receive you because we believe it is the responsibility of every responsible citizen to contribute to this reconciliation process that is the reason why we are here.
What is your name?
Primary Witness: My name is Andrew K. Jerboh.
When were you born?
Primary Witness: I was born October 13, 1978.
What are you engaged in?
Primary Witness: I am a farmer.
Primary Witness: First of all I thank the almighty God. I thank the TRC. It was during 1993 October 10, LPC enter Sinoe. That time, we were in our town in Kabada because that time, my Father he was old I was with him. One fighter they call General Green went on my father village. After when he got there, he asked my father. My father say no, I don't have food. Then he call me, I say yes that true that we don't have food. He said that no, according to information they say your have food. Then they give order to the soldiers to take my father halfway. And they said they were carrying him half way. At that time I never knew what they call half way. Not known they were going to killed him. So the soldiers carry my father halfway. Since that time, I don't know where they carry my father. I have not seen him, and I the one doing every thing for my living. They burn my father house 1996 the ending of 96. So that's the thing that hurt me in that LPC war, so that what that happen to me.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: Thank you and we say sorry for what happen. You have not seen your father since that time?
Primary Witness: Yes.
No body has said anything about it?
Primary Witness: Yes.,
How long has it been?
Primary Witness: Since 1996
What is your father?s name?
Primary Witness: James Jarboh.
Do you know the age of your father?
Primary Witness: 1944.
Do you have any brother or sister?
Primary Witness: Yes, only one brother Prince Jarboh
Does he live here?
Primary Witness: He lives in Grand Gedeh.
Do you know the where about general green?
Primary Witness: Yes, he lives in upper Nukoo Grand Geeda that in Sinoe.
Commissioner Syllah: Where was your mother when they went to arrest your father?
Primary Witness: She was home.
Where is your mother now?
Primary Witness: She is home.
Commissioner Stewart: Was general green alone when he came to arrest your?
Primary Witness: Well, I can't tell, I was afraid so I ran away.
Is he from Sinoe here?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Besides killing your father, what else did they do?
Primary Witness: No, I ran in the bush.
How long did you stayed in the bush?
Primary Witness: Three months.
When you came from the bush, where LPC?
Primary Witness: They were in Sinoe.
Did they do anything to you after your returned?
Primary Witness: No, I never use to go around them self.
Chairman: Have you seen general green since then?
Primary Witness: No.
We want to say thank you for coming to the TRC. And we extend our sympathy for the death of you father. Any thing you want to say before you leave?
Primary Witness: No.
Twenty-ninth Primary Witnesses of the TRC Public Hearings in
Greenville City Sinoe County
Peter S. Weah
(Second Primary Witness of day three)
The Second 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.
Chairman: good morning and welcome to the TRC public hearings and for taking up your time to come to the hearings to tell your story to the people of Liberia, Sinoe County and the Commissioners of the TRC.
What is your name?
Primary Witness: My name is Peter S. Weah.
When were you born?
Primary Witness: I was born in 1975.
Where do you live?
Primary Witness: I live in Kabada.
What are you doing presently?
Primary Witness: I am in school now, and I am in the 6th grade.
Primary Witness: The 1990 war came and finished nothing happened to us, only he LPC war my father died from hunger. That is what happened to me in the war, the death of my father from hunger.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: So when did your father die?
Primary Witness: That was in 1994.
What was your father's name?
Primary Witness: Peter M. Weah
What's about your mother?
Primary Witness: My mother died but not from. That was sickness that killed her.
Commissioner Stewart: In 1990 did fighters do anything to any body in the town?
Primary Witness: No
Where were you then?
Primary Witness: I was in the same Kabada.
What about the LPC war, where were you?
Primary Witness: I was in the same Kabada.
The LPC fighters burned any houses?
Primary Witness: Only one house they burned.
Whose house was it?
Primary Witness: Pap Jacob Teah
Did they take any young men with them when they were going?
Primary Witness: No
Why was your father in the bush?
Primary Witness: You know when war fighting we can be in the bush, so we can't be with them in the town too much for nothing trouble. Then while in that bush my father died from hunger.
Commissioner Syllah: Peter, thank you very much for coming to the TRC and sorry for the death of your father. But where is your mother now?
Primary Witness: She is dead.
What killed her?
Primary Witness: She just died, that not war killed her.
What killed your father?
Primary Witness: That hunger killed my father.
Sorry and thank you for coming to the TRC.
Chairman: Thank you for coming to the TRC. The Commission is deeply sorry for what happened to you. That is what the TRC was formed. Do you have any last word for the TRC?
Primary Witness: I thank all the TRC people that came here in Sinoe for this talk, because we don't want war to come again. We want to be in peace so we can be in school.
Thirtieth Primary Witnesses of the TRC Public Hearings in
Greenville City Sinoe County
Jefferson D. Gmeh
(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. She was accompanied by an interpreter.
Chairman: good morning and welcome to the TRC public hearings and thank you for taking up your time to come to the hearings to tell your story to the people of Liberia.
What is your name?
Primary Witness: I am Jefferson D Gmah.
Where do you live?
Primary Witness: I lived in Dabadar.
When were you born?
Primary Witness: I was born March 12, 1977.
What are you doing for a living?
Primary Witness: I am a farmer, I farm rice and cassava.
Primary Witness: During the war time LPC overnight they went to place and they went my place and say anything your get you should bring it. We say we don't have anything. From there they catch my sister and they tied her. From there they catch me and tied and they caught my brother and they say that he should carry them half way. They put me in the ants. After my brother carried them half way he never returned again. That is my story of the war
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: What year all these things happened?
Primary Witness: 1993
Do you know that name of the soldiers that took your brother and put you in the ants?
Primary Witness: General Mandy and General Green the commander
What was your brother's name?
Primary Witness: My brother's name was Awolowo Gmah
What happened to your father?
Primary Witness: my father passed away
Do you have a wife?
Primary Witness: yes
What is her name?
Primary Witness: my wife name is Catherine
Do you have children?
Primary Witness: yes, I have four living children
Commissioner Stewart: Where were you in 1990?
Primary Witness: I was in Kabadar
What happened when LPC came?
Primary Witness: We ran away in the bush
How long do you still in the bush?
Primary Witness: we still 5 months in the bush
Did they kill any one?
Primary Witness: yes, only my brother
What happened during the Charles Taylor war?
Primary Witness: during the Charles Taylor war nothing happened to us.
What else do they do?
Primary Witness: They burned three houses in the village, but they did not burn any house in the town
Beside burning the houses, do the tabbay people?
Primary Witness: No, I did not see that
Do they burn house the town?
Primary Witness: no, they only burnt houses in the village
Did they tabbay other people?
Primary Witness: when we came in town, I don't see nobody in the town
From that time you see General Green or General Mandy?
Primary Witness: No, I never see them, and I don't know where they are
Commissioner Syllah: why do they kill your brother?
Primary Witness: I don't know, but they only tied him and they say that he should carry them halfway.
How old was your brother when they carried him?
Primary Witness: he was 25 years old
Does he have children?
Primary Witness: no
Chairman: Since that time you did not see your brother again?
Primary Witness: no, we have not seen him
When did they carry your brother, what year?
Primary Witness: 1993
Where is your sister now?
Primary Witness: My sister is in Kabadar
Before you leave do you have any last words?
Primary Witness: No. thank you
Thirty-first Primary Witnesses of the TRC Public Hearings in
Greenville City Sinoe County
Perry S. Weah
(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.
Chairman: good morning and welcome to the TRC public hearings and for taking up your time to come to the hearings to tell your story to the people of Liberia, Sinoe County and the Commissioners of the TRC.
What is your name?
Primary Witness: My name is Perry S. Weah.
When were you born?
Primary Witness: I was born in 1966.
Where do you live?
Primary Witness: I live in Kabada.
What are you doing currently?
Primary Witness: I am a farmer. I grow rice, cassava and others.
Primary Witness: 1991 I was with my parents I and my brothers them. And general Ker and Yan Doma them came they say they are NPFL. They are here for freedom. So we were having goat them. They went to our village and say that they need food, so we welcome them and give them food and give them one goat. After that, two weeks finish they come back. Then Yan Doma say the CO say your must give us one goat, and we say no this goat them for someone. So he say well do you people want to live or not? My pa say aye, this thing that coming here that trouble he say your catch one goat and give to them. My pa say the goat that leave your go in the bush and make fence for them, so we did it. When they came back for the third time they ask for the goat them, we say the people then that get the goat now carry it. They say you people then not serious. We are fighting for your then your take the goat and carry it. They say your will bring them, then when the tension was hot we the young boys them we just went in the bush we sat down. We go look we just hear our people them crying my people your comer the people them tying your parents them. We say the way we looking like this when we go in front that people them they will kill us, so we say we will be here so we were there. Our ma was crying your stay in the bush your parents are suffering, my oldest brother came. We go look our father was on the grand they killed him the man just came to us and say your let we go for the goat them, we bring the goat in town. From that 1991 war we were just resting from 91-92, 1993 war October 10, LPC come they say no one should ran away we are here to free you from NPFL. We were just there fear was in us. We say that this same thing NPFL do they killed our pa. So I say your let us go in the bush and build tent. They say no. we were there 93 no problem. Any time they come your give us food we give them food. 96, NPFL came back they say we are here to redeem to free us from LPC. We run away all the way to Karkagbo. We were there NPFL reached there they captured us and bring us back. Then LPC came they drove them from here again they carry them. Then LPC catch us and that how the killed my two brothers. This story here just that TRC come for us to explain our story but when I talking it, I can feel sorry. Because we were three from our father, the first born and the last born die only I alone. So if I see my brother them with their brothers working hard on the farm, I can cry some times and the whole day I can be disturb. The whole family relies on me now that how I get married in the war and starting boring children. The children some of them are with me and some in Monrovia. Then when LPC came they took us in town and started doing bad, bad things to us. The last war they were doing bad things to us now when you look at my face that AK mark. They catch me they catch my wife and carry her in the: [my people your excuse] I was under the bed, and then they start doing bad thing to her. When I come from there, then I said ah God, then they say, why you say ah for what we doing to her is bad. Then I said no chief what you doing to her is good. So that my story what I experience in the war.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Commissioner Syllah: Sorry for what happen to you and thank you for coming.
What was the name of your brothers they killed? And what were their ages?
Primary Witness: E.Sleh Weah-25
Demon Weah- 13
What was the name o your father?
Primary Witness: Any- way Weah
What was the name of your mother?
Primary Witness: Martha Weah
Sorry you hear? Okay.
Commissioner Dolopei: Sorry for what happened to your family.
What is your wife name?
Primary Witness: Mamie Weah.
Sorry for the death of your brother and father.
Commissioner Stewart: So what they did in the town besides the killing of your people?
Primary Witness: They ate all our goats and chickens.
They took young girls with them?
Primary Witness: I don't know because I was always in the bush.
They burn any house?
Primary Witness: No.
They carried girls with them?
Primary Witness: I don't know because was not in town.
Is there any last word before you leave?
Primary Witness: I say thanks to the TR C for coming and I hope they will continue so our children will go to school.
End of the Day Four of the TRC Public Hearings Sinoe County
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