The transcripts of the trial of Charles Taylor, former President of Liberia. More…
Well, for the other one she never used to be able to use it, but after some time we had people who used to massage the other hand now. For now she is managing to use it a little.
No, I cannot even use it to eat because it is turned over.
Well, no, for now I am unable to use it. I cannot use it to do any hard job.
Well, they took me to Waterloo.
No, there were no women in my ward.
Well, in the ward the men were in a different place and the women also were in different place.
For that one I cannot tell. I am unable to tell their ages.
Well, some of them - some people's hands were amputated and some their feet.
Well, actually we were many but I can give you a rough estimate. We were about 50 in the ward.
Yes. One of - I had a friend with whom I was in the same ward. We were divided and we were living in wards with different persons.
Well, when we got to Connaught Hospital I was treated so that my hacked hand will heal.
Well, I spent two months there. From there I was transferred to the Waterloo camp.
At that time we were now 18 in number.
Yes, from Makeni they took us from Makeni and took us to Freetown, the Connaught Hospital.
Well, when we reached Njaiama Sewafe we met the ECOMOG there and then they took us from there to Makeni.
Yes, that same day we arrived at Njaiama Sewafe.
Well, whilst we were on our way going two men amongst us were unable to cope with the pain so they died on the way.
Yes.
Well, that moment we didn't get any treatment.
Well, the next day when we came back to town our families talked to us and then we managed, we walk on our feet until we went to Njaiama Sewafe where the ECOMOG were based.
When we came to the town our families told us that we should endeavour to go to Njaiama Sewafe where the ECOMOG had their base.
So the next day we came back to the town.
Our families took us back to the bush to sleep.
The end of the day. It was night.
We were there until the end of the time.
The one was hacked here [indicated]. The other one was chopped off.
My sister's hand was hacked here [indicated]. The other one here was completely chopped off.
He was hacked on the one hand here. The other one --
My sister too was around the very village.
They collected all the amputated arms and then they left and left us behind.
I have a sample of it. Like this is what they call culture
There they said all the hands that were - that they amputated and that was lying on the floor, they are taking them all and then they will prepare a culture.
There when they told us that, we told them we had sent somebody to ECOMOG for them to come and pick us from the village.
They told us if - if they come back the next time and meet us in the village they will kill all of us.
I only saw the combat. I didn't know whether it was the same group, but when they came they asked us what we were doing in the village.
There they met us again. We did not meet them there. They met us there.
We were asked what we are waiting for in Bomboafuidu town.
So from there when the rebels met us --
I saw the way their hands were chopped off, those that met us in the village at that time.
Roughly it could be five because some were in the bush with their families and they were coming into the village where we were.
Well, let me say I saw some of my friends like Tejan Cole and his brother and another friend Mohamed Touray and Alpha Kargbo whose two ears were chopped off and the two hands amputated.
I saw some of them.
Well, from there we saw some men who came, the rebels.
There I saw the woman who they placed the mortar pestle on his private.
From there I went to my father's farm hut.
I couldn't say because I did not focus my attention on that to count the hands that were lying on the ground.