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LIVE ACCOUNT OF CHILD SOLDIER EXPERIENCE WITH THE REBELS.
My name is Ernest Foday Mannah, and a student of the Services
Secondary
School. I am now 16 years old and this is my true story.
I was born in Kailahun in the Eastern provincial town of
Sierra Leone which
was the cradle of the rebel war in Sierra Leone. The rebels had
first made
their base and stronghold in the outskirts of this kailahun District
called
Koindu, that borders Sierra Leone and Liberia.
In 1991, when the rebels first attacked kailahun, that was
at the same time
the war began, my friends and I were captured by the rebels. I
was just 8
years old then. There were awful signs that they will attack our
township.
They eventually came at a time we did not epect, and I was captured
at a
playing field together with my playmates and friends. There was
no moment o
see my family and grand mother.
Just as we were caught by the rebels, they instantly seperated
us so that we
were given to different commandos, as the rebel leaders were called.
I was
assigned to the command of a fierce rebel leader called 'Black
Jesus'. His
was a Bukini by nationality, which means that he and others were
hired as
mercenaries. My friends were destined to be sent to another village
far off
from where I was held captive.
days later I heard that two of my captured friends have
already died. I did
not stop to think what means they faced their death. I wept seriously,
and I
could not put back the tears that streamed from my eyes. I felt
instantly
that I shall be the next to die. The 'commando' had to give me
words of
encouragement and I later partially calmed down. A week after,
the commando
decided to send me on a mission as spy. My risky role was to spy
at the
position of the Government Soldiers about three miles off the
rebel's base.
I had no power to reject this command and had to abide and went
on this
deadly mission. I was told that if I do not return, I my entire
family,
which the rebels and their commando claimed to know all too well,
will be
killed. I dearly loved my grandma, and sisters and had no intention
to loose
them for my own safety.
On aarriving at the Government base, I was accosted by at
the Government
Military Garrison by a soldier who manned a check point. I was
halted and by
this army personel who interrogated me vigorously about my whereabouts
and
where I was heading to. I begab to clry even though the officer
pretended
not to mean any harm. I had to lie that I was a pupil andjust
roaming to
find some food for my family trapped beind rebel lines, hiding
in the bush.
I told the military man that we have gon for more than a week
without food,
and my youngest sister will hardly endure, let alone my grandma.
He
immediately felt pity for me and gave me some of his rations of
food that
he hoped will help to sustain me.
When I felt composed to speak further, I told him that they
must try very
hard to get rid of the rebels as the people are really suffering
in the
bush, having abandoned their homes. He told me in confidence that
their was
no need for me to worry as they have a determination to carry
out an
operation to flush out the rebels within a week. I had to later
tell him
that I ought to leave and see my family. He gave me an additional
two
packages of food from their rations to sustain us for some time.
I had
courage to inquire about his name before I left. He said when
ever I wanted
to see him, I must just ask his colleagues for a man called 'Scorpion'.
I left my friend and returned to the rebels base. On arrival,
the rebels
told me I did not carry out their assignment of spying for them.
That I must
say the fact or else they will killed me. They further threatened
that one
of my family members have already been killed. I showed the rebels
the food
which was given to me as a sign that I actually made it to the
opposing camp
of the government troops. I even told them that after speaking
with a
military officer, he confided to me that they will launch an attack
within a
week. On hearing this crucial news, the rebel commandos immediately
summoned
a meeting in which I was forced to witness. It was in that meeting
that I
was made a Special Task Force Commander heading the spying force
comprising
mainly children. The rebel Field Commander incharge of the entire
rebel-held
Koindu base was instantly summoned.
This rebel Field Commander, a woman was asked to come prepared,
meaning to
come along with lots of ammunitions. The ammunitions arrived but
we did not
see her. The ammunitons were sent together with about hundred
fighting
rebels who were not part of the Kailahun rebels, so as to reinforce
their
ranks. When I saw these ammunition, my mind strucked me in different
angles.
Firstly, I thought of my friends who had been killed, then myself,
my life,
my friend the soldier who gave me food, and last though not least,
my
family. I thus planned for the worse. I must escape!
At about 2:00 Pm, I attempted escaping but it was a wrong
judgement. I was
captured, given severe beating with hands tied behind my back.
Then they
took me to 'the blasphemous 'Black Jesus' who further gave me
severe
trashing. I was beaten to a point of weakness that I thought I
will finally
die. I was further tied to a branch of an ant-infested tree, with
head down
and feet upwards. I stayed for about two hours in that painful
up-side-down
posture. Then the woman whom everyone was waiting for arrived
in Kailahun!
She inquired who brought the information about the planned military
attack.
'Black Jesus' pointed at the tree where I was hung and had to
tell her that
I planned to escape in the afternoon. The woman approached me
where I was
being purnished and had to command Black Jesus to released me.
I was untied
and dropped down like a fruit from it's branch. My head was whirling
but
noticed that the woman's private part was adorned with animal
skin that had
an dare's horn tied to it. At his back, she had a similar animal
skin, an
egg to cover her buttocks. She spoke with me briefly, and I explained
as I
did to the rebels. She asked 'Black Jesus' permission that I must
stay with
her. She led me to a place where I underwent some treatment. I
was left to
spend the rest of the night at her place.
In the mornng hours, five rebel body guards were ask to
be by my side,
watching me closely. They were all children, well armed to the
teeth. As
special task force training was underway, the guards and I roamed
and
patrolled in the sorrounding area to detect any possible movement
of
enemies.
On the third day within that week, noticing the serious
training that the
rebels undertook, I made up my mind to make another escape. Indeed,
I sensed
how deadly it will be. Even with the body guards, I ask black
Jesus'
permission for three body guards to accompany me to a small village
to know
what the junior men I have asssigned to the region along Guinea
border were
doing their work. It was in that area that my grandma, brothers
and sisters
have escaped to and gone hiding.
I was given the go ahead. On reaching the place, I spoke
secretly with my
grandma to leave the place immediately, as their were bad plans
of rebel
attacks. I secretly gave her some money to use whilst escaping.
I asked the children who were my body guaards that we must
see some other
men in the next village. It was unknowing to them that I was planning
to
escape with them all. Two miles away from the rebel zones, I ordered
them to
handover their weapons to me. One of the children asked me why
and was
defiant. I told him that we are close to the government soldiers
and it is
not advisable to hold weapons. One of the boys instantly decided
to put me
under gun-point. This particular boy was not a native of Kailahun,
whilst
the other two boys and I were from the same town. These two boys
decided to
inturn put this offensive child under gun point. I have to walk
towards him
and said that 'you are a little boy and you need to go to school,
your
parents have all been killed, and your future will be awful if
you continue
to hold these gun'. The defiant child and the two others handed
me their
guns and I threw them in the bush. I kept a small pistol hidden
in my
pocket , for I had in mind that one of them will be tempted to
escape back
to the rebels and lick out our secret of escape. In an attempt,
I will break
the feet of any one who dares to escape.
We reached at the government soldier's base, and at the
post of the soldier
who gave me his food ration. We were instantly held because the
boys were so
much in panic. We were beaten serious and called spies, and that
we must
speak out. I requested for scopion the soldier who gave me the
food. I
stressed that even if I was beaten to death, I will say nothing
until
Scopion was around. I had of course already informed the boys
before our
arrival that they must keep mute and say nothing. The captain
(P.L. Foday),
requested the presence of 'scopion', to know why I have stressed
about his
presence. At last scopion came, from a mile and half away from
the other
post. When I saw scopion, I sighed with hopes that he will not
stand by and
allowed his colleagues to kill us. The boss (P.L. Foday), then
asked me to
say what I planned to say in the presence of scopion. I explained
now that
the rebels had captured us but we escaped, and that they had plans
to attack
the Government soldiers two days before their own week's plan
of engaging
them. I spoke of the terrific weapons in the possession of the
rebels, like
machine guns and RPG, greenaded launcher, etc. I mapped out the
route they
planned to take. This convinced the leader of the batallion to
release us
and made preparations immediately. He called for military and
man power
reinforcement at once. We asked them to join us in the combat
against the
rebels and they accepted. We were given a day's hectic training
to know how
to dismantle a weapon, fix it up, aim and shoot neatly. Our measurements
were taken in preparation for military fatigues to be given us.
The uniforms
and boots were brought immediately, and the four of us dressed
up to join
the battle for liberation of our land. We requested for four 'magazine'
and
were given sub machine guns, {SMG}, as our personal rifle. The
captainasked
all of us to be assembled and went on to address mostly his government
military men. He turned to us with a special warning that if we
decide to
play any trick with them, we will certainly die. That was on the
forth day
of the week, in which we were ask to be on stand-by. At eight
p.m, we were
bound to leave for the battle at hand, with 80 men. Their were
100 military
men who will follow the 80 men with whom we were assigned. The
100 men
will have to stop at the place where we should lay the ambush.
Three of us
children were with the group of 80 soldiers, whilst one of us
the boy who
placed me under gun point was assigned with the group of 100 soldiers.
We reached the point where we should make the ambush at
about 9 p.m, and
layed the ambush of a full moon. At about 10 p.m the rebels appeared
and
fell within the range of our full moon ambush. We did n't make
a single
sound, or any noise so far. We overheard them making confusion
amongst
themselves, indecisive as to whom should lead the different patrol
groups
comprising some 40 rebels per group. At 2 a.m, in the morning
we decided to
lanch our attack, firstly by sending a glowing tracer splashing
light in the
air. This made us to see the rebel's position clearly and so began
to launch
heavy weapons n their directions, namely; RPG and greenade launcher.
In a 3
hours battle, we overpowered them , leaving so many dead whilst
a hand full
of their remnant forces fled for cover, cursing and swearing as
they ran for
their lives. At 5 a.m we went with Government troop and moved
towards
Kailahun with 150 strong soldiers. At about 6 a.m, we again laid
a half
moon ambush, half a mile off the point where the first battle
took place.
The remaining number of government soldiers were asked to retreat
half a
mile to the base in a bid to protect it from any by-passing rebel
troops.
The rebels approached us with a strong force having gone
to reinforce after
their first defeat. We patiently allowed the rebels to enter well
within the
half-moon ambush before we began launching our heavy artillaries.
50 men
chased them, whilst the remainder 100 menwent towards their main
base,
cutting them off completely. It was during this time that one
of the
children who had escaped with me from the rebels, had to face
his death. He
was fired in the heat of the battle. I had to cry for the death
of this boy,
and what came to mind was that if I don't fight hard, I shall
be the next
victim. About half an hour later the government forces succeeded
in pushing
the rebels towords Kailahun. 15 big rebels were then captured
together with
3 child rebels, not mentioning all the rebels who died in battle.
On our
side, we lost six soldiers including the boy, amounting to 7.
A fitting and
respectable burial was given to these dead soldiers including
the little
boy. 21 gunshots were fired in the air as a sign of respect for
these dead
warriors.
The following morning, we retreated back to our base, Because
we had already
ran out of ammunitions. The government soldiers were now in total
control.
In this state of victory, I was bestowed a title 'Las Corporal',
Captain P.L
Foday, in a special ceremony of military parades and marshal.
This is a kind appeal to super powers of the world to stop rebel
movements
in Africa, and bring to justice all the rebel leaders who have
contributed
to so much blood shed in this continient....
(I shall continue in the next issue to narrate how I became known
amongst
several batallions in different parts of the country, because
of my skillful
role played as a child-soldier). I shall also recount myfeelings
for living
amongst rebels in details having no access to family and friends,
treated
like a beast.)
By: Ernest Foday Mannah
Services Secondary School, Juba Barracks, Freetown.
