Wednesday July 27, 2005

Tamba Borbor reports from Freetown

In his evidence at the trial chamber II of the Special Court, Prosecution witness TF1-157 has explained that Adama ?cuthand’ ordered the amputation of civilians in Freetown. The witness maintained that when they entered Freetown on the January 6th^, 1999, people were killed and houses and vehicles burnt down.  It was at this point the witness said that Adama gave orders that civilians should be amputated, which then led to the rebels engaging in massive amputation of civilians.

The witness who was testifying in Mandingo told the Court that when the rebels entered Freetown, the civilians were tormented as they were forced to sing for the troops while others were engaged in the burning of houses. Later he went on to narrate, some civilians were ordered to put out the fires.  ” The troops then went in search of Police Officers. The rebels disguised as civilians and went in search of Police Officers who when found, were killed together with their families and their houses burnt down. It was during this period that the Eastern Police Station was burnt down. A Government official was also killed at Kissy,” TF1-157 narrated. 

The 20-year-old witness said that he was captured by the rebels at his village in Bonoya in the Bombali District. Some of the rebels he said were in combat fatigue and others in civilian attire. ” During this attack, six people were killed and four houses burnt down. The six killed included my elder brother; my uncle and his two children- Mamie Adama and Momodu who were thrown into a fire and those that were not killed were seriously injured.  I together with some other children were forced to carry loads for them.”

He narrated that they went through many villages, which he could not remember; adding that the troops attacked Rosus where a Muslim man was stripped naked and killed by Musa with orders from one Captain Junior. He explained further, ” we were attacked by the ECOMOG jet which forced us to leave Rosus and headed for Red Lion where we stayed for some time. While we were at Red Lion, we usually cross a river to search for food and on one particular day, a man was left behind and upon our return the next day, his body was seen at the junction having been mutilated by the Kamajors.”

The troops TF1-157 went further to narrate “then decided to head for Freetown and went through Lunsar where houses were also burnt and civilians killed. Mamamah, Waterloo and Benguema where attacked and Saj Musa died at Benguema,” he narrated.