Yes, Ms Hollis.

Mr President, I note I neglected to say that I am also in Court, Brenda J Hollis.

Thank you, Ms Hollis.

Good morning, Madam Witness.

Yes, good morning, ma'am.

Madam Witness, may I again ask you that you speak clearly and slowly and you listen very carefully to the Krio translation of the questions before you answer. Can you do that?

Okay.

Thank you. Madam Witness, yesterday you were telling the judges about things that happened while you were in the bush after you had left Baiama Town, and you told the judges about young girls younger than you being raped and you said that you saw them and that they told you that they had been raped. Do you remember saying that?

Yes.

Did they tell you who raped them?

Yes.

What did they say?

They said it was the rebels who raped them.

At some point did you leave the bush?

Yes.

Why did you leave the bush?

It was because of the rain and the rebels who were disturbing us. That was why.

And what was it about the rain that made you leave the bush?

What happened with the rain that we left the bush? Because the rain was disturbing us. It was too cold for us.

And where did you go?

My father said we should go back to town.

And where did you go exactly?

We went to Baiama Town.

How many people went back to Baiama Town?

We were many civilians. We returned.

And who went with you?

My family and I.

After you went back to Baiama Town, how long did you remain there?

I spent two days and on the third --

What happened on the third day?

At midnight I was captured.

Who captured you?

It was Peppe.

Your Honours, we would spell that phonetically P-E-P-P-E:

How did it happen that Peppe captured you?

We were lying together with my entire family.

And what happened then?

They went and hit the door and opened it up while we were in bed.

And what happened after that?

They said all of us should come outside.

And then what happened?

And they captured me.

And did they say anything when they captured you?

Yes.

What did they say?

They said my family was to go inside again.

And did they say anything else?

Yes.

What?

And they said I should go with them and sit under the mango tree outside.

Now, who was saying this?

Peppe.

And did Peppe tell you why you were to go to the mango tree with him?

Yes.

What did he say?

He said the two of us were going to sleep together that night.

And when he said the two of you were going to sleep together that night, what happened then?

And he went and brought a mat and blanket.

And what happened after that?

And he said the two of us should sleep together. He said we should lay.

And then what happened?

And one of his colleagues said "No".

And what else, if anything, did his colleague say?

His colleague said, "This one is a small girl".

And what happened then?

He said, "You should not sleep with her".

And what happened after this colleague said that?

And we did not sleep together. We were sitting together.

Now, you said that they came to the place you were and hit the door. How many people came to the place and hit the door?

There were many, the rebels.

And you said it was Peppe who was talking about taking you to the mango tree and sleeping with you. What was Peppe wearing?

Peppe had on combat.

What type of combat?

It had a mixture of black and green colours.

And did he have anything other than combat, or was it all combat?

He had on a red shirt.

Do you have any idea what age Peppe was?

No.

Now, these other people that came with Peppe, what were they wearing?

They were dressed in full combat.

How long did you remain with Peppe and the others at the mango tree?

We were sitting there until dawn.

Now, during that time, did you try to run away?

No, I couldn't run away.

Why couldn't you run away?

Because I was with them. They never let me even for a moment.

And while you were at the mango tree until the next morning, who was there with you?

Together with Peppe and his colleagues.

So what happened in the morning?

So in the morning my mother went to plead on my behalf.

What did she do?

So whenever my mother would go to plead on my behalf they would drive her away.

And what would she do when they drove her away?

So she would return.

And what happened then?

So she went again for the last time to plead on my behalf and she was hit with a gun.

Who hit your mother?

Peppe. Peppe.

And what happened after your mother was hit with the gun?

And my mother fell down, screaming.

And what did you do when your mother was hit with the gun?

I was crying.

Now, what happened after your mother was hit and she fell down?

It was when she went there to plead on my behalf and she was driven away and it was during that that she was hit.

And after she was hit and fell down, after that, what happened?

So my father and my sisters came out.

And what happened after they came out?

My sisters were crying and my father went and took my mother.

And where did he take your mother?

My father.

Where did he take your mother?

He took her back inside, to console her.

And what happened after that?

So my father went there back to plead.

And what did he say when he pleaded?

When he went there to plead he too was shouted at.

And what did your father say when he pleaded?

What he said was that, "Please leave her. Please don't take her along with you".

And what happened then?

And my father returned, after he had been driven away.

And then what happened when he returned?

My father came back the other time.

And tell us what happened.

When my father came?

Yes, tell us what happened.

He said, "Please don't take her along, this one is a small girl".

And was there any response to that?

No. They only said, "Papa go away. This girl" --

Yes, this girl what?

And my father said --

Your Honours, can the witness repeat that.

Can you repeat what you just said, please, Madam Witness.

And my father said, "You should not molest me, I'm not a small boy".

And did your father say anything else?

Yes.

Tell us what he said.

And my father said, "Look at me, I'm a chief where I'm working".

And then what happened after your father said these things?

And he said, "I'm a big man in the APC".

And what happened after he said that?

And Peppe got up and said, "Good, you are the people we are looking for".

And then what happened?

And Peppe said, "I am going to kill you".

And what happened after that?

And he shot my father.

Did your father survive that shooting?

No. No, he shot him twice.

And what happened after he had shot your father?

And my father fell down.

And then what happened?

He died and my mother came out.

And what happened when your mother came out?

When she heard the shot she came out to make sure what had happened.

And when she came out, what happened?

They started crying and I too was crying.

What happened then when you and the others were crying?

And they said we were to shut up and we should laugh.

Who said you should shut up and laugh?

Peppe.

And after he said you should shut up and laugh, what happened?

We laughed.

Why did you laugh?

They said we were to laugh.

Now, when Peppe was saying these things what language was Peppe speaking?

Krio.

And when his colleague was saying the night before that Peppe should not sleep with you, what language was the colleague speaking?

It was Krio.

So what happened after you and your mother were told to laugh and you laughed? What happened after that?

What happened was that they told them to go inside again.

And after that, what happened?

I was sitting there with them.

Now, how long did you stay there with them?

I was there with them until 6 o'clock in the evening.

And who was there with you until 6 o'clock in the evening?

They brought two ladies whom they had captured.

And what happened then at 6 o'clock in the evening?

The ladies whom they had brought cooked.

Then after they had cooked and at 6 o'clock that evening what happened then?

After they had finished cooking they ate and they said we should come.

And where did you go?

Koidu Town.

And what happened when you were taken to Koidu Town?

When we got closer to the field was when they --

Yes, go on.

It was then that Sergeant Foday said he was going to take me away from Peppe.

Who was Sergeant Foday?

He too was a rebel.

And where was it that this happened, when Sergeant Foday said he was going to take you away?

It was near Koidu Town, close to the school.

And did he say why he was going to take you away from Peppe?

Yes.

What did he say?

He said Peppe was a small boy, so he was going to take me away from him.

And what happened after that?

And Peppe said, "If you say you are going to take this, she's a civilian".

And did he say anything else?

Yes.

What did he say?

He said, "Instead of we having problems - we are fighters, both of us. Instead of we having problems, I'm going to kill her".

And what happened after he said that?

And Well Man said no.

Now, who was Well Man?

He too was a rebel.

And what happened after Well Man said no?

Then Well Man took the weapon from him and he said, "Don't shoot her".

He took the weapon from who?

Peppe. Peppe.

And what happened after that?

And he said Peppe should take me and we should go.

Who said that?

Well Man.

And when Well Man said that what did Sergeant Foday do?

Sergeant Foday didn't do anything.

Now, when this conversation was taking place, what language was Sergeant Foday speaking in?

He was speaking Krio.

So then what happened after Well Man decided that you would be with Peppe and you should go? What happened after that?

We went to Peppe's house.

And Peppe's house was where?

Koidu Town.

And what happened when you went to Peppe's house?

It was at night, the two of us slept together.

What do you mean you slept together?

He raped me that night.

When Peppe raped you that night had your menses begun?

No.

What was your physical condition after this rape?

I was bleeding.

And how were you feeling emotionally?

I couldn't stand up. I was completely weak.

How long did you stay at Peppe's house?

I spent a night there and in the morning --

What happened in the morning?

The condition in which he saw me was why he said we should go to his sister.

And tell us, why did he decide to take you to his sister?

He said the condition in which I was he couldn't keep me with him, so he was going to take me to his sister.

What condition was he talking about?

The way in which I was bleeding. He got afraid.

Did you ever learn any other name for Peppe?

No.

Did you ever learn what group Peppe belonged to?

Yes.

What group?

It was Superman's group.

What was the name of Peppe's sister that he was going to take you to?

Hawa.

Your Honours, we believe that name would be H-A-W-A:

And did he take you there?

Yes.

Who was Hawa?

She too was a rebel. She said she was trained.

Did she tell you how she became a rebel?

Yes.

What did she say?

She said she went to the bush and was trained.

Did she tell you where she was from originally?

No, she didn't tell me her home town.

What language did Hawa speak?

She spoke Krio and Mende.

How long did you stay with Hawa?

I spent some time with Hawa.

And while you were with Hawa, how many people were staying at Hawa's place?

There were rebels and --

Your Honours, can the witness repeat that. It could be wives of soldiers, or female soldiers.

Well, Madam Witness, the question you were asked was how many people were staying at Hawa's place and could you --

There were many people in the house.

And can you tell us who these people were?

Your Honours, can the witness clarify the expression. It could be wives of rebels, or female rebels.

Madam Witness, are you saying wives of rebels? Are you saying wives of rebels in the house, or female rebels?

They were wives of rebels, but they too were trained according to what they said.

Madam Witness, while you were at Hawa's house, did you have any duties?

Yes.

What were your duties?

I used to launder and cook.

Now, did you do these things voluntarily?

I did them forcefully.

Did Peppe ever come to Hawa's house while you were staying there?

No, he didn't go there.

Now, you said that you were at Hawa's house for some time. Did there come a time when you left from Hawa's house?

Yes.

What happened?

Hawa sent me to go in search of vegetables to cook.

And what happened when she sent you to do this?

Three of us went. We were there when Sergeant Foday went to meet us.

And what happened when Sergeant Foday met you there?

I was harvesting pepper and he shouted and said I should stand up.

And what happened after that?

He said, "Madam, which of the two do you prefer, your life or going to my house?" And I said, "Well, let us go".

And so after you said "Let us go", what happened?

And we went to his house. I was there as a wife.

And where was Sergeant Foday's house?

Sergeant Foday's house too was close to Opera.

And that was in what town, or village?

That is Koidu Town.

When you went to Sergeant Foday's house, how long did you stay there?

I was there for some time.

And what happened when Sergeant Foday took you to his house?

I was there as his wife.

What do you mean you were there as his wife?

He was having sex with me every night.

And did you volunteer to have sex with Sergeant Foday?

I did not volunteer, but I had no option.

While you were at Sergeant Foday's house, how many people were at that house?

There were rebels, together with some --

Together with some what?

Civilians.

And did you learn how those civilians came to be at Sergeant Foday's house?

Yes.

How did they come to be at Sergeant Foday's house?

They too were captured, those two civilians.

And you said you "those two civilians". How many civilians were at Sergeant Foday's house?

At Sergeant Foday's house I was a civilian there.

And how many other civilians were there?

They were at the other house.

So at Sergeant Foday's house were you the only civilian at his house?

Yes, when I was there with him.

Now these rebels that were at Sergeant Foday's house, did you learn the names of any of these rebels?

I cannot recall their names because their names are difficult to pronounce.

Did you learn what group Sergeant Foday belonged to?

Yes.

What group was that?

Superman's Boys.

And these other rebels that were at Sergeant Foday's house, did you learn what group they were with?

Yes.

What group?

They all belonged to the same Superman's squad.

Now in addition to being forced to have sex with Sergeant Foday, did you have any other duties while you were at Sergeant Foday's house?

Yes.

What were your other duties?

I used to launder for him and cook for him and fetch water as well.

Did you do these things voluntarily?

No.

While you were at Sergeant Foday's house, did you ever try to run away?

No.

Why not?

I couldn't run away because they were all over the place.

Madam Witness, when you came back to Koidu Town, what was the condition of the town?

The condition of the town was not good.

Tell us what you mean by that?

The houses were burnt and the town was --

The town was what?

The condition of the town was not good any more. In fact, there were grasses all over the place. It was becoming bushy.

How long did you stay in Koidu Town on this occasion?

I spent a long time in Koidu Town.

At some point did you leave Koidu Town?

Yes.

Why did you leave?

It was when the ECOMOG attacked.

And do you remember what season it was when ECOMOG attacked Koidu Town?

At that time it was close to the dry season.

And then when the ECOMOG attacked Koidu Town, how many people left from Koidu Town?

We were many, together with the rebels who had gone there.

And where did you go from Koidu Town?

It was Superman's Ground.

Do you know where Superman's Ground was?

Yes.

Where was it?

Meiyor.

Your Honours, I believe that has been spelled before as M-E-I-Y-O-R:

How did you travel to Superman's Ground?

We walked and some people went in vehicles.

And you yourself, how did you travel?

I walked.

Who travelled with you to Superman Ground?

Sergeant Foday.

And was there anyone other than Sergeant Foday with you?

Except his squad - his colleagues.

Do you remember the names of anyone in his squad that walked with you to Superman Ground?

Yes, Well Man was there, together with Sidique. All of us went.

When you arrived at Superman Ground, who did you stay with there?

I was with him, Sergeant Foday.

And how many people were with Sergeant Foday at this location in Superman Ground?

I was with Sergeant Foday, together with the boy whom he had captured.

Do you recall the name of this boy?

Yes.

What was his name?

Komba.

Your Honours, we believe that would be K-O-M-B-A:

Madam Witness, can you tell us the age of Komba?

No.

How long did you remain with Sergeant Foday at Superman Ground at his place?

I was with Sergeant Foday for a long time.

And while you were with Sergeant Foday, what were your duties?

I used to cook for him and I used to launder for him and he used to have sex with me.

And did you agree to have sex with Sergeant Foday on those times?

No, I did not agree because he was far much older than I was, but there was no option.

Did there come a time that you moved from Sergeant Foday's house?

Yes.

And where did you go?

We went to Mamie.

And why did you go there?

Because his wife heard that her husband had captured a civilian girl.

Whose wife are you talking about?

Sergeant Foday's wife.

So what happened then?

She was in Kailahun, but when she heard that she came.

And what happened when she came?

When she came, she used to pick a fight with me. She was very jealous of me.

Now, who was this Mamie whose house you went to?

It was Sergeant - it was Sergeant Foday's friend's wife.

And who was the - she was the wife of which friend?

Sidique.

And when you went to Mamie's house, how long did you stay there?

I was with Mamie for some time again.

And was Mamie a civilian, or did she belong to a group?

Mamie too was a rebel.

Did you learn where Mamie originally came from?

No, I did not know Mamie's home town.

During the time you were at Mamie's did Sergeant Foday come there?

Yes.

How often did he come?

Whenever he needed me to have sex he will take me and have sex with me.

And while you stayed with Mamie, did you have duties there?

Yes.

What were your duties?

I used to pound rice and to launder, harvest palm oil.

Did you volunteer to do these things?

No.

Why did you do them?

I was forced to do so, because I had no option.

Did you ever learn why the place you were at was called Superman's Ground?

Yes.

And why was it called that?

Because Superman was the leader there. That was why the place was named after him.

While you were at Superman Ground, did you ever see Superman?

Yes.

How often would you see him?

The bush in which we were closer to the town, because we hid away from the jets, he used to visit us there.

Now, you said that Superman was the commander at Superman Ground. During the time you were there, did you meet or become aware of any other commanders there?

Yes.

What other commanders do you remember?

There was Colonel Kailahun there. There was Bokito. Colonel Karmoh. Sidique.

And Colonel Kailahun, did you know him by any other name?

No.

What language did Colonel Kailahun speak?

He spoke Mende, Krio.

And what was Colonel Kailahun's position at the base, if you know?

Superman was superior to him, but whenever Superman was not around he would be in his place.

Now you also mentioned someone you called Bokito. Did you know him by any other name?

Yes.

Your Honours, phonetically we would spell that B-O-K-I-T-O:

What other name did you know him by?

I only knew him as Bokito.

What language did Bokito speak?

Bokito spoke a Liberian language.

You also mentioned a Colonel Karmoh?

Major Karmoh.

Did you know Major Karmoh by any other name?

No.

What were his duties at the base?

He was the spiritualist.

And what languages did he speak?

He was a Fullah.

Do you recall any other commanders who either visited Superman Ground or were based there?

The one who used to go there to visit was CO Rambo.

Did you know CO Rambo by any other name?

No.

And what language did CO Rambo speak?

I heard him speak Krio.

You said he would visit the base. Do you know where he himself was based?

It was by Jalloh Ground.

Did you learn why it was called Jalloh Ground?

Because Jalloh was the one who established the place and he was the commander there.

Your Honours, we would spell that J-A-L-L-O-H:

And CO Rambo, do you know what group he belonged to?

No, I didn't know.

Now, you've named some of the commanders you remember who were there. How many fighters were at the base?

At Superman's Ground?

Yes, at Superman's Ground.

Yes. The ones that I know, I will call them out.

First of all, can you tell us how many fighters were there?

You mean the commanders?

No, the people below the commanders, the fighters.

There were many. I don't know their number.

What language or languages did the fighters speak?

Some spoke Krio, Mende, and I heard some speaking Liberian language.

And what was the most common language used by the fighters?

They were speaking Krio to us.

Now, you told the Court that you were first taken by Peppe and taken to Koidu Town. When you left Koidu Town and went to Superman Ground do you know where Peppe was?

Yes.

Where was he?

Peppe too was at the same Superman Ground.

While you stayed at Superman Ground were you aware of any meetings being held at Superman Ground?

Yes.

Those meetings were for who?

It was they - they convened the meeting for themselves, the rebels.

And did you or other civilians ever attend those meetings?

No, no civilians went there. The meetings were only for themselves.

While you were at Superman Ground, did the rebels ever leave the base to go anywhere?

To go and fight?

No, I'm asking you. Did they leave the base to go fight?

Yes.

And they left the base to go fight where?

Koidu Town.

And how did you learn that they were going to fight at Koidu Town?

Because they used to call them at the formation ground and they will assemble and they will say they are going to fight in Koidu.

Now, other than going to fight in Koidu Town, did the rebels ever leave the base for any other reason?

Yes.

And for what other reason would they leave the base?

To go on a food finding mission.

Did you ever learn what they did when they went on these food finding missions?

I don't know what they did there.

When they came back to the base, did they ever say anything about those missions?

Yes.

What did they say?

Sergeant Foday used to tell me that they would kill and rape.

And they would kill and rape who?

Civilians.

Would they bring anything back from those missions?

Yes, yes.

What would they bring back?

They would bring back clothing, tape recorders, radios, food items and civilians.

And these civilians that they brought back, what gender were these civilians?

Male and female.

And what was the age or age groups of these civilians, if you know?

I didn't know their ages, but there were some people who were children who had just walked and there were some ladies among them.

And when they brought those civilians back to Superman Ground, do you know if those civilians had any duties?

I didn't know what the civilians did for them because I was at my own house.

You have said that Superman was the commander of Superman Ground and you've named some commanders who were at Superman Ground and you've also named CO Rambo who used to visit.

Yes.

Did you ever learn about any other commanders while you were at Superman Ground?

It was this man, Peleto.

What did you learn about Peleto?

Peleto came to the zorbush to visit. He too was a commander.

Did you know Peleto by any other name?

No.

How did you learn the names of these other commanders?

In the zorbush where we were they used to visit there. Whenever they came their names would be called out.

Did you ever see Peleto when he came?

Yes.

Did you ever hear Peleto speak?

Yes.

What language did he use when he spoke?

I heard him speak Krio at the formation ground.

Now, in addition to these commanders that you have named did you ever learn about any other commanders?

Yes.

Who did you learn about?

Mosquito.

And who told you about Mosquito?

It was Sergeant Foday.

Did you know Mosquito by any other name?

No.

And what did Sergeant Foday tell you about Mosquito?

He just said that Mosquito was their boss.

And did he tell you anything else?

Yes.

What did he say?

He said at that time if he had as much money and as much diamonds as Mosquito had he wouldn't be fighting any more.

And did he say anything else about Mosquito?

Except the order that he said Mosquito had sent.

And what was that order?

He said Mosquito had said they should stop killing, they should be amputating hands.

And when you said they should be amputating hands, was it only hands?

He said that they were to amputate hands and they should put padlock on people's mouth and amputate ears and the people should be sent to Pa Kabbah.

Did he say why they should be sent to Pa Kabbah?

Yes.

What did he say?

He said because he was the government man he had his hands in politics.

Did you learn whether this order was carried out?

Sergeant Foday said yes, they did it.

Now, while you were at Superman Ground, did you learn of anyone trying to escape from Superman Ground?

Yes.

What did you learn?

It was one man who escaped.

And what happened to that man who escaped?

He was recaptured.