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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. She was accompanied by an interpreter.
Chairman: good afternoon 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.
When were you born?
Primary Witness: I was born during Barclays Time
Where do you live?
Primary Witness: I live Kayes town
What do you do for a living?
Primary Witness: I am a fisherman and I have a coconut plantation
Primary Witness: When the 1990 war came I was on the sea at that time around 4 in the morning and I heard the gun sound three times. At that time in the kru town the killed two persons there and the people told me. before I got to my house my wife had placed all of our belonging and she said the was reach us and we went in the hiding bush there is where we were living. We were there until the LPC came and capture us. They went in the bush to look for us until they could get us and they brought us to town. They say we will liberate your, not knowing they will do bad to us. When they capture us all of my belonging that my father left with me and the one me and my wife got, the people, said we had money and I sad I don't have money. They came in the night and they carry all of my belongings from the house, all of the money we had they carry it. The money I had was ten thousand dollars US. My only son I had by the name of Solomon Marcus Kaye he was killed o the sea by the LPC when he was going to Buchanan. That is what happened to me.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: Sorry fro what happened, how do you know it was the LPC who did this to your son?
Primary Witness: My son went to Buchanan first and came and when he was going back then they killed him and the people on the canoe told me this.
What year did this happened?
Primary Witness: 1994
Is it the same year they took your money?
Primary Witness: Yes
Commissioner Konneh: we are sorry for what happened to you and for the death of your child. Between NPFL and LPC which of he group came to your town first?
Primary Witness: It was the NPFL but they did not bother us
When they got to the town what sis they say you should do?
Primary Witness: When they entered they wanted food and fish form us, they allowed us to go fishing for them
When did the LPC come to your area?
Primary Witness: 1994
When they came what did they say you should do?
Primary Witness: When they came we went to the hiding bush and they went for us there.
What did the NPFL do?
Primary Witness: When the NPFL came we use to go to the farm and cut our rice and come home but when the LPC came they use to give us hard time so we went on the hiding bush and they went there and got us.
When you came to town what happened?
Primary Witness: When they brought us to town they begin to tie some of us and this made my hands to get from joining.
Who was their big man?
Primary Witness: Take Go
Was he present when they hit you with the gun?
Primary Witness: Yes he was there when it happened.
Did they homburg your wife and children?
Primary Witness: They wanted to have my children and they ran in the bush that night.
Did they carry anybody from the town?
Primary Witness: Yes they carry two Bassa boys
Do you know their names?
Primary Witness: One is Patrick Weaper and Fred Gbah (Old Hat)
Did he join the LPC fighters to take your properties?
Primary Witness: When the LPC entered the town that is how they took our things but when the two boys joined they went across the river
Did you experience anything from the MODEL?
Primary Witness: During the time of the MODEL me and my wife were in Monrovia and we spent six years there.
Commissioner Dolopei: the story you telling us is it from the NPFL or the LPC?
Primary Witness: It is from the NPFL time but is was the LPC that gave us hard time
Who took your money?
Primary Witness: It was the LPC
What did the NPFL do to you?
Primary Witness: When hey entered our town they did not take anything but they wanted food and fish
Commissioner Washington: sorry for all that happened to you. Are you the owner of Kaye town?
Primary Witness: Kaye is my father he had the town.
Was he the head of the town when the rebels came there?
Primary Witness: I was the head of the town.
Can you remember commander dragon of the MODEL?
Primary Witness: I was not in the county during the time of MODEL
Do you remember any fighter by the name of dragon?
Primary Witness: I came in Rivercess before I heard that name
Chairman: Mr. Kaye all of us at the Commission say sorry and the people of Liberia and the people who set up the TRC say sorry for coming to tell your story. Is there any last thing you want to say before you leave?
Primary Witness: What I want to say is I am old and I lost all of my things, I just want money to build another house before I die.
We hear it and we will take it into consideration.
Thirty-Third Primary Witnesses of the TRC Public Hearings in
Cestos City Rivercess County
Alfred Burduen
(Second Primary Witness of day four)
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. he was accompanied by an interpreter.
Chairman: good afternoon 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.
Primary Witness: I thank the almighty God who brought your, what I saw during the war is what I am gong to explain. In 1995 I and my brother and my mother were in the hiding bush and the man I am talking about is the one who read me. We were in the hiding bush when the NPFL came and among them I knew one person and they came from Koubuis Twon and the news we heard about them is that they can rape and carry all your things. When we saw them coming we ran in the bush and they caught my old man and tabied him and put him in the water and the put mud in the old plantain leave and they fixed it in the form of dumboy and made him to eat it. I saw him crying but I could not go there. I came slowly around where he was and I saw them giving him 22 pieces of the mud and he began to vomit blood and then their head said they should leave him. Before I reach him he was dead so I went and told the town people. We carry him to one town by the name of Growngee and we burry him. That is what happened in the war.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Commissioner Sylla: Sorry for the death of your father. During the time they were treating your father, where was your mother?
Primary Witness: My mother was in another hiding place, because we carried the women in different location.
They did any thing to her?
Primary Witness: No, she was somewhere different.
How she felt when she heard the story?
Primary Witness: She felt bad, and she cried.
Commissioner Stewart: Thanks for coming to share your experience. How long you were in the bush?
Primary Witness: I spent two months, three weeks and three days in the bush.
How were you surviving in the bush?
Primary Witness: We the men used to go by way of the creeks to our farms and get cassava, plantain and other things to eat.
How the rebels found your hiding place?
Primary Witness: They followed the old roads.
How many rebels came there?
Primary Witness: They were many, some passed different directions.
They ate your small food?
Primary Witness: Yes, they ate all.
Your buried the body?
Primary Witness: Yes, we buried the body in the town at night.
Who was the person you knew?
Primary Witness: Emmanuel Gowon.
Was he a fighter from your area?
Primary Witness: Yes, he was from the same area.
Is he still around?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Who was the commander in Bolowein Town?
Primary Witness: General Mosquito
The same Christopher Vambo?
Primary Witness: Yes, Mosquito and Solo.
They did any bad thing in the area?
Primary Witness: Nobody was in the town, so I do not know.
They looted from you in the hiding place?
Primary Witness: No.
They raped anybody?
Primary Witness: No, they did not see anybody.
Commissioner Dolopei: You have talked for all the people died and those who could not here to express their testimonies. When the soldiers came there you talked to them?
Primary Witness: No.
You got hurt during the war?
Primary Witness: No.
Commissioner Bull: Thanks very much for telling the truth on the stand.
Commissioner Konneh: Have our deepest sympathy. Where were you from 1991 through 1995?
Primary Witness: I was in Yani's town.
Where is that?
Primary Witness: Around Nyemoweh
Is it in Rivercess?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Was there harm done to you during the crisis?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Did you witness any harm done to any civilians in your presence during the crisis?
Primary Witness: No.
Besides your uncle, who else they killed?
Primary Witness: No, nobody.
You witnessed anything bad LPC did?
Primary Witness: I cannot say, because LPC and the rebels were fighting while we were in the bush; we could only see smoke in the air.
What's about MODEL?
Primary Witness: I heard about MODEL but I did not see them.
Where is Emmanuel Gowon now?
Primary Witness: He is in his town right around the my town.
Is he still alive?
Primary Witness: Yes.
Chairman: what is the name of Emmanuel Gowon's town.
Primary Witness: Saiyas town
Where is Saiyas town?
Primary Witness: In Gbarsei
You ever sustain injury during the crisis?
Primary Witness: No.
Thanks for coming. Your testimony is very vital to our process. Anything else you have to say before you leave?
Primary Witness: Yes. I thank the Almighty God for the cold water that was placed in the cup that you people have put on our hearts. I also thank the Superintendent for his good works in the county. The main thing I want to tell the TRC is that I want your to please help us build school in our area to enable our children go to school for better future. Now, I have 5 wives and a number of children at the house and I also have stroke and unable to do anything good for myself and so, I want your to help me build me a house. I thank you all.
What is the name of the father's child?
Primary Witness: Her name is Becca Baryogar
How old is Becca Baryogar?
Primary Witness: 17 years.
What's about the second one?
Primary Witness: Her name is Theresa Baryogar.
What's her age?
Primary Witness: I do not know.
Are they in school?
Primary Witness: Yes.
What class are they in?
Primary Witness: I do not know because I am not educated.
Thirty-Fourth Primary Witnesses of the TRC Public Hearings in
Cestos City Rivercess County
Francis Tukor
(Third Primary Witness of day four)
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 afternoon 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. The floor is now yours and you can tell your story.
Primary Witness: The war happened and it was during the soldier time and the soldier came and grabbed me. I was coming from Gabos Town and the soldiers grab me on the road and carry mew in the house and set me down. The soldier bodyguard he said come inside so we can lecture. One was outside, he advance the gun. When I entered the house he fired me and I lay down. At the time he forced me I could not get up I was laying down I was week in the body and one of my relatives came and took me and brought me to Cestos. The gun shot entered the back of my neck and came out of the other side. When my mother heard this she came and she was crying and I told her not to cry but to pray for me. Later on the white people came and they carry me to Buchanan where I spent two weeks and the carry me to Monrovia and put me on the bed. When they check me there was no gun shot in my neck and they told me I was well and they say I should pay 1800 and I pay the money. That is where I end.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: thank you for coming to give your statement to the TRC. we are sorry for the problems you went through. The Commissioners will now ask you few questions. What year did this incident take place?
Primary Witness: I can't remember
Do you know the name of the people that help you in the house?
Primary Witness: Yes one Chief Albert
Is that the only name you know?
Primary Witness: Yes
Which faction Chief Albert was fighting for?
Primary Witness: NPFL
What was the name of the town?
Primary Witness: Gbarblos town
Where the bullet hid you did it have any effect on you in any way?
Primary Witness: No it only passed through my neck
Commissioner Konneh: thank you for coming and I want to tell you that you should be grateful to God because where the bullet passed it you had shake small by this time you have be a story, but since God kept you alive, I want you to always praise him. Where were you when the 1990 war started?
Primary Witness: I was in Gbowoh Town, my home town.
And you remain there until the war was finished?
Primary Witness: Yes
What was some of the experiences?
Primary Witness: I can't remember anything, that all I know that I finish talking.
What happened to your family?
Primary Witness: Where I live they never bother my family, I was the only person
The Albert you talked about, do you know him?
Primary Witness: I don't know him
Then how did you know his name?
Primary Witness: I just heard his name
So you don't know the person who called you in the room, is he still alive?
Primary Witness: I know they are alive
Do you know where to find them?
Primary Witness: No
Commissioner Bull: thank you for coming to give your story to the TRC and the people of Liberia.
Chairman: we want to thank you for coming to the TRC to share your experience with us, and we hope you will find place in your heart to forgive those who shot you. And as you have come to the TRC, that burden will leave you, that is why we appreciate everybody who comes to the TRC, because if we understand our past, then we can correct our future. So we want to tell you thank you for coming to share your story with us and we want to tell sorry. Any last word for the Commission before you leave?
Primary Witness: No
Thirty-Fifth Primary Witnesses of the TRC Public Hearings in
Cestos City Rivercess County
John Brown
(Fourth Primary Witness of day four)
The Fourth 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: you are welcome to the TRC to share your story with the people of the county and the Commission. We also wan to tell you thank you to taking up your useful time to come forward to contribute to the peace process of our country.
What is your name again?
Primary Witness: John J. Brown
Where do you live?
Primary Witness: Sawens, john browns town
What do you do for a living?
Primary Witness: I am a farmer
When were you born?
Primary Witness: I was born in 1981
Primary Witness: Beginning 1994 I was living with my grand ma and pa because my mother is not living so I was living with my father who was a pastor and my grand mother was missionary when the war came I and my older sister were living with our grand mother but when the war came I and our older sister were not living in the same area in Tamos Town district on this side when the war came they were on the other side across the water, as for me I could find my way but because my grand parents were old I could not come so I decide to stay with so that where they will die I will died with them. Then one Barry Parlay in Rockcess area, when we heard about the war he formed his own group called Rockcess Defense Force, when the war came they came my father was pastor and he use to go and preach to them so when the war came my father Isaac Brown and us, we went on the bush for 2 weeks when we go look Barry Parlay and his group surrounded us and he went and point the gun on face and the mark still there now. He did not meet my mother she go dig cassava for us to eat he grab my father he say where is the church money that you have then my father say the war came and everyone scatter and the war carry it then the Barry Parlay man say if you not give me the money I will kill you then he told his men that if this man not give the money we will kill him. Then my father told me to go call my mother in short time he and his soldiers took the road that they came from when they started going then my father started running then they ran behind him for about ten minute distance then my father fell through a stick then Barry Parlay went and started using the cutlass on my father he put splitting marks on my father head then he went the pick the old man up by then blood was coming from his head and nose then he took the old man and carry him to the town then when he reach his men started beating the old man again. Then I went there they grab me when they grabbed me. My father say Barry Parlay I who use to come and preach to your don't kill me I beg you then he say I not after God business then one Jerry was the last he came and say why you people beating the pastor for. They say the man money get the church money he say but the man say he don't have church money and no one here with him only the little boy here with him so your leave them and they left us. When they left my mother came I was not able to tote my father so I dragged him until we left the town and my mother look for herb and put it on the soul and he was getting rotten then my brother heard the news and he got on canoe and was coming across to us but he did not know our place. Someone told me that my brother was looking for us and told me where he was then myself I went to where my brother was, then he brought the canoe. All of us could not get on it then I say they must carry our father to Buchanan because the canoe was small so only my father got on the canoe with my brother and mother.
One of the them they called Crazy I don't know how he found our place when he found us he say oh that here your living then something your depending on because you missionary. I going on the front to ITI and they way I am going I will carry your to ITI he went told my grand mother say we should go he give me a gun that I could not able to carry I was dragging it when we reached to Dowean town then they started drinking I told my mother since the people are drinking let running away because if they finish drinking they will start doing bad to us when they heard they never give us six feet then they tied my ma and at that time and my heart was burning then I say I must join them because the way they are treating my people but one of friends was there they called him Sunny Boy they grabbed him and he join them. They beat my ma and hang her in the kitchen and lit the fire under her and put a cutlass on the fire when it got red they put the hot cutlass on her to mark her then they put pepper on the fire saying that they are peppering her and they say they will killed her on Saturday so my friend left them and came to me, he say John Brown I want to find way so that your can escape then I told him if you can help us I will make it then Friday evening when they were going to drink again Sunny Boy came by 8 in the night by that time they tie me on the round pole of the kitchen when they went in the Palava hut to drink then Sunny Boy can and loosing me then he went in the attic and cut the rope for my grand ma to drop then he help me to carry her in the banana bush the he went back then I say I will try my best. We went in the bush we bother with one old tent. One man and his women was there then the man say oh I know this woman one time I attended your conference then he picked some herbs and put it on my ma, then one of my uncles came running to us and my great grand mother was there then my uncle say they grabbed my great mother an 4 others and kill all of them then I told him not to tell my grand mother. The man took care of my mother until she was alright we were there until war seized.
Then the MODEL war came again they never did thing bad to us by then I was married my wife and my brother-in-law and my children since there was no money for a long while one car came here to Cestos and I put people on it. The driver one man called Kpelleh John was the drive and he carried my children and mother in law to Buchanan. While there they were hungry it was not easy there and all my belongings they carried all in Buchanan. When they were there, there was an attack again my wife say it was not easy. I was here when they say that John the hunger is not easy here she say they had to walk 6 to 6 before reaching to where they had to fine food.
Then one MacDonald Tarpeh, he was the big man for MODEL in Cestos here then I prepare some food took the rice and came to him and told him that Dragon my pa in Monrovia and I want to carry food for them then he fix the pass and give to me. We were two we started going me and one man here now he is a teacher now we all started going we walk from here to Buchanan. I had one thousand with me I have my old shoe I put the money there. We walk until when I reached to the junction we I say them I was afraid because the guys I saw there they were all butt naked they carried me in one room and asked me for money I say yes I have money then I give it to them because I was afraid. And I by-pass to the end of the road and I bother on Thomas street in Buchanan I saw my mother-in-law I feel bad she was slime all my people were dry. And when they was seize don we all walked form Buchanan to Rivercess here.
When the war happened it put mark on me at the end Crazy brought knife and chopped me finger here now if I am working I had for me and one foot he also mark here that what I forget to tell your.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Commissioner Konneh: Where is Barry Palay?
Primary Witness: He is in Kalgbay District, in Yeanni.
What is he doing?
Primary Witness: He is fishing, he is a fisher man.
What is your grand father condition now?
Primary Witness: He can not even straighten now because he can not walk so he has been replaced as a pastor for the church.
What's about your grand mother?
Primary Witness: She is not in good condition because of the tying that she suffered.
What about you and your family?
Primary Witness: I the one sometime I can feel pain in my body but my wife and children are all fine.
Are they going to school?
Primary Witness: The older one is in school in Monrovia she is in K-2 and the younger ones are too small to walk the distance.
Commissioner Syllah: where is your grand mother now?
Primary Witness: She in Jayzun and she is not well
Primary Witness: Last word: I want to thank every one of them I know that they love us and this is what they are showing us. What really catch my heart is school business, there is no high school on our side for us to go to school if your graduate from elementary there is no high school and there is not hospital and from our area to Cestos here is 5 hours so we are appealing to the government through the TRC for them to come so that they can come to our aid.
Thirty-Sixth Primary Witnesses of the TRC Public Hearings in
Cestos City Rivercess County
Peter Deah
(Fifth Primary Witness of day four)
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. She was accompanied by an interpreter.
Chairman: Good afternoon and welcome to the TRC Public Hearings, this is the place where you can say your experiences in the war. The Commissioners of the TRC and the people of Rivercess County are here to listen to your testimony.
What is your name again?
Primary Witness: Peter Deah
What do you do for a living?
Primary Witness: I am a farmer
How old are you now?
Primary Witness: I am 107 years old
Primary Witness: I thank the almighty God for your to come here and call us to tell our story. From the time the war happened all the suffering that I went through my children I had they are two and I sent them to high school and they graduate. After graduating, we live in the same and when we were there the government employed one, he was the clerk of he superintendent and that is the work he is doing here now. Every Friday he can come to me then Monday he can come back. When he was doing that then they say that to your father you living now so they say since you will go there all the time you will be there and be a Commissioner. So he was mad a Commissioner there. When the war came the soldiers left from ITI and came and asked for the government officials and they pointed fingers at my son and they went and asked if his father was alive or dead and he said he is here he is in the room. So they told him to call me and he went and called me and we went to the soldiers.
The soldiers said we are going on a mission and we will not sleep there we will. Come back and sleep with you here. So we want food from you before we go and if you don't have food you can gave us water which I did. I gave them liquor and they said thanks. So the said do not allow us to sleep in hunger and I said okay. They went on the mission and took the director from there and said to me this is the stranger we brought for you, so I prepare sleeping place for them and killed six chickens for them and they eat until they were tired.
Then they said this stranger we brought here he will sleep in the gutter of the house. So I told them since I did good for your then your want my name to spoil and I said this John man is the one talking care of the mission and my children so they allowed him to sleep there. The next day when they were going they said we will carry your son so that if there is any bad thing he will come and tell your. I said no, they should not carry him but he said he will go with them. They took him he was there for two weeks and the third week he came back and they said thank you papie, but your son the clerk he get we don't have any clerk so he should come and be here with us and we will send a clerk. So while the clerk was there, they told me that if anybody do bad your son should come and tell us.
They sent one person here to take care of the place and one to Sinoe. The one they send here he was living in Cestos. Then they went on our side, when they reach there, they collected 18 people from Pois Town and brought them to Cestos and they put some people in jail and that is where they left. When that happened, my son was there for long, one other boy from Rockcell came to the group in Cestos to become a soldier, that was the LPC he wanted to join. When the boy came he said the NPFL killed two of my sisters so I want your to train me so that I can go and take revenge and they agreed and they were all working together. The boy said I am ready for your to take me to where I came from in Sawen. When they reach to Pois town the saw one of the man coming from the bush and nhe pit his stick down and the boy said God has blessed me, he that is the man who son killed my two sisters. They grab the man and out his head on the mortar and killed him.
After the killed him the brought the message to me and said they killed the big pastor in the town. Then my son said why they killed him and he said the rebels said if anybody do bad here we should tell them. So I said my son that is war, they are still fighting, so we should go and burry him before you go there, then he said I hear it. So he said I will sleep in the bush with the women I will not sleep in the town. When he went on the farm to sleep with the women them he is his friends they were four. When they went there they did not hear talking until the reach I the village. The LPC group that was sent to Sinoe the people on that side told them that the people Troy are not from Sinoe but they are Cestos people and that is where they are talking soldiers from and the LPC people said we will go there and burn their town down.
When they came they went to Troy and they said you're the stupid people of Troy your said your are not Sinoe people and your can go to Rivercess and make medicine and your join LPC so we will kill all of your. When they told them the Troy people send three people and said the people say they are coming to kill the Sinoe people. They went and build three tents in the bush and they carry all the people there. When the Sinoe people came they never met anybody in the town and they were eating all the food there.
While they were doing it my son and there others that went to ITI the sent 13 soldiers and said the people are in hiding bush and so they should catch anybody who they see. While there they could not see anyone and could not hear any gun sound, at that time they were in the soldier's area and the soldiers grab them and carry them in the town, but if we don't see the ITI town we will kill you. They took them to the town and asked them what they came for and my son said we came to the ITI people, they said if anything happened there we should tell them. Then they said we are the ITI people so we will kill two of you and one will go and carry our news that we are here to break the whole place down. They went into ITI and took eight drums of gas and two mattresses. My son they said since he is the eyes of the government he will be the first to be killed and the wrap him in the mattress and the other one they put him in another mattress and they put two them in the drum with gas and burned the two of them. While they were burning the other two that will bring the message the started chapping them and they left them and they went and slept in another town where they took care of them. When they came they told me my son left there, they killed he and Bobo son. When I heard the news I began to cry, that is all the bad things I receive in the war. After my son died we can't come home, in the bush there is where we were and we save ourselves. After two three days the LPC send people there to take us from the bush and they took 12 of us and brought us in the town here. They carry us to the big Methodist church in the town here and they brought food for us to eat. Me I refuse to eat the food and they said why will you not eat so I said my son they said he was a government worker and your kill him and so will not eat, so they took me and carry me to the big man.
When we got there I told him I will mot eat and he said they should leave me so he told them to carry me inside to lie down and I went inside and lied down. Before they took me and carry me to Kru Town about 10 minute from the bug church house. After Kru town they asked me if I wanted to go back to my home and I said yes so they said I can go, but that there is sugar and groundnut there so I should bring them liquor for the 26 the they will give me something good and I said yes. When I got there they had grand my sugar cane I left there and I met the man who did it and he said because I wanted to use your grander I grand the cane you had and it is five drums. He carried me to my people that were in the bush in the morning and he said he is going to see if it will be reading for cooking and he called me and we went and cooked it and I took three gallons from there and carried it in the town for the LPC boys and I will tell them that is what I have.
When I brought the liquor I put flag up and when the person at the water side saw the flag he brought the canoe and said what is it and I said it is liquor and he said I should gave him his own and I said it is the commander who sent me so he said if I don't gave it to him he will jail me and another man came and took me and we went to the commander and he said the guy will not cross anyone again and he gave him one bear bottle for him to drink so that he will die the next day. They brought drugs and food for me and I left, that is what I experience during the war.
Questions from the Commissioners:
Chairman: What the soldiers paid you with when you carried the liquid?
Primary Witness: They gave me two buckets of rice and fish and asked me to produce more and I will be pay.
Sorry for the death of your son. It was very, very wrong for them to carry on such act. We pray that your son soul will rest in peace.
Commissioner Konneh: Sorry for what happened to you. Where is the other son or daughter?
Primary Witness: He is in the town with me.
What is he doing?
Primary Witness: He is in the town now, I do not know what he is planning to, he and myself had not on that.
Yourself still making farm?
Primary Witness: No, my son-in-Law is the one who is doing everything for me.
Please tell us what you used to do when you were young
Primary Witness: I was farming, no other work.
Commissioner Bull: Thank you for coming. Your son blood will not go in vein, it is a sacrifice they made for us to see the peace and security we are having today. We want wisdom from you, your contribution towards the lasting peace we are looking for. What was the root cause of the war; what do you think the people of the same village will take guns to kill one another, please tell us.
Primary Witness: I tell God thanks first of all. It is one war that I heard about which broke Rivercess County down today, it was the German war. Tubman took men from here and sent them there. And because of that, I ran to Kakata and stayed there for three years before returning to Rivercess.
Is there anything that will help keep the peace so that there will be no more war?
Primary Witness: One thing that can help is that we should just pray for God, that is the only thing that can help us in this country so that we can not fight war in this country again and we will have peace.
Commissioner Dolopei: thank you for sharing your story with us and sorry for all that you went through in the war.
Commissioner Stewart: thanks for all the information that you have given us. We also want to say sorry for all that has happened to you.
Chairman: thanks very much for your advice to us as a young generation. We also want to thank you for coming to share your experience with us to say sorry for all that has happened to you in the war.
I thank God for your to come here so that we can talk. Jesus Christ said I am going to prepare a place for you so that you may not suffer anymore. In Jesus name.
End of day four of the TRC Public Hearings Rivercess County
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