The witness’s account continues: 

While in Beudu/Burkina, I met other civilians who had been taken from other areas.  They told all of us that we should go to Dawa for arms and ammunition.  That’s why the civilians were there.  The civilians brought from Superman Ground were also there to collect arms and ammunition from Dawa.  There were about more than 150 civilians sent to Dawa.

When we got to Dawa, where I’d never been before, they told me it was a marketplace – we call it a “looma” in Krio – but there was no market there.  There was a helicopter sitting on the ground but the propeller was still turning.  They opened the back of the helicopter and started unloading it.  I saw boxes unloaded, some were metal boxes.  I watched it.  On the helicopter was written “Liberia”.  I can’t recall all of the markings, but I remember seeing “Liberia Airways” or something like that.  The commanders unloaded the helicopter and we watched.  We were standing in line.    In Dawa I saw the pilot, who was a white man.  When they completed the unloading, we approached in order and took a box or two to carry back to Beudu, to Mosquito.  All of the civilians carried loads – every one of us.

Back in Beudu, we went directly to Mosquito’s residence.  We put the things down, and then I saw that they were ammunition.  Mosquito had a very long item that was reddish at the mouth, and Mosquito said “This is the thing that we use to bring down a jet.”  He said we should take the boxes to the “war house”, which was also in Beudu town.  There, Mosquito and his commanders started sharing the things.  Everybody got a share – those of us who came from Superman Ground and the people who came from other places.  Our commanders asked us to carry the loads on our heads.  Issa Hassan Sesay was our commander from Superman Ground who was second in command to Mosquito.  He gave his share of the ammunition to us civilians to carry on our heads to Superman Ground.

When we got to Superman Ground, Issa Sesay said he was second in command and the BFC, which meant “battle front commander”.  I was there as a pastor because the rebel commanders had a meeting and they wanted me to lead prayers.  So I was at the meeting.  At the meeting, Sesay presented the ammunition and said it was to attack Kono and move out the ECOMOG group.  They all agreed.  This was in the month of November 1998.

In January 1999, the rebels captured Kono and moved on to Freetown.  In Kono, the commanders shared out the guns to the rebels.  They took me to move with them and pray with them, but I did not go to the front, so I did not see what happened at the front.  I asked them to pass civilians on to me.  The attack was on Koidu town.  They killed some civilians.  Some escaped.  Some ECOMOG were killed, others escaped.  I saw corpses of ECOMOG soldiers.  I heard that there were attacks on Tombodu and other areas.  They surrounded the whole area.  I Tombodu, Rocky took control.  Rebels captured Koidu.  After Kono district, fighting went further.  With those same weapons they moved towards Freetown.

Pros: Do you know Charles Taylor?

Wit: I’ve heard his name but I don’t know him personally.  I’ve heard his voice and heard about him.

Pros: Where did you hear his voice.

Wit: During the war in Liberia when President Momoh was president of Sierra Leone, I was seated at my radio at about 5:05.  I was listening to Robin White on BBC.  That was when I heard Charles Ghankay Taylor say to President Momoh that “If you allow Sierra Leone to serve as an ECOMOG base, in 90 days, Sierra Leone will taste the bitterness of war.”

Pros: In what year was this?

Wit: It was 1991. 

Pros: Did you hear Charles Taylor’s voice on the radio on other occasions?

Wit: Yes, during the time of intervention in Sierra Leone, when the AFRC had overthrown the Tejan-Kabbah government.  I can’t recall when the intervention took place exactly.   Where I was, I heard Mosquito say “We are around the hills of Freetown.” That’s when I heard Taylor say on the radio, “If you push somebody against a wall he cannot penetrate, if he bounces back it will be very dangerous.” At that time there was very heavy fighting.

Pros: Do you any other name for Mosquito?

Wit: Mosquito was my pupil, I taught him in the fourth grade.  He was known to me as Borbor Samai.  When I met him in Beudu I did not recognize any more.  He recognized me and reminded me.  He asked whether I know Borbor Samai.  He took off his dark glasses, and from that point I recognized him.

Pros: I have no further questions for this witness.