Through a series of questions from Prosecutor Mohammed Bangura, the witness’s story continues:

The prosecution is going back to the testimony about the number of corpses on the way to Igbaleh, when he said he stopped counting after 50.  Among the dead people there were young women and very small children – some were small babies who could not even grip yet.  There were men, women and children.

Pros: Regarding the earlier testimony about the boy whose arms and legs were amputated, how old was the boy?

Wit: He was about 16 years old.

Pros: In Wondedu, what was Rocky’s role?

Wit: That was Rocky’s deployment area.

Pros: You said civilians were sent on food-finding missions to Koranko.  What district was that in?

Wit: Koindugu District.

Pros: You’ve mentioned a number of commanders.  At Sunna Mosque after you came from Sunna Mosque, you said there were 30 commanders.  Can you name some of them besides Rambo, who you said was there?

Wit: Yes. Rambo who was with the RUF.  Morris Kallon, who was RUF.  Ranger who was RUF.  Staff Alhaji Bayoh  who was AFRC.  Kilondo who was RUF.  Amara Peleto who was RUF.  Amara “Ambush Commander” who was RUF.  Alpha Momoh who was RUF.  Rocky, who was RUF.  Sylvester Kieh, who was RUF. 

Pros: Do you remember anything else happening at Wondedu while you were there?

Wit: Yes.  The rebels marked civilians with sharp items like razors to carve RUF on peoples’ chests and AFRC on their backs.  Captain Banya would call the SBUs and tell them to go light candles.  At first I didn’t know what that meant, but later I saw this meant they should go burn down houses.  I saw this myself.  I saw this happen in Wondedu village.  Banya ordered the boys to light candles, some would take dry grasses and kerosene, tie it with a rope on a stick, and light the tied ends.  They would light the roofs of the buildings, one after another.  The would light the edges of the thatch houses.  I saw them burn down five houses.  Captain Banya belonged to the AFRC.

Alpha Momoh came with a message from Superman Ground with the message that I was to be sent there and later to Beudu to see Mosquito.  Superman Ground was in Kono, on what we used to call Guinea highway.  That’s where Superman, Rambo and most of the top commanders resided.  This was a rebel camp.  Superman was with the RUF, where he was third in command.

I was escorted by some men to Superman Ground.  I was taken to Rambo.  Rambo handed me over to rebel soldiers to take me to Beudu, which was called Burkina.  They told me Mosquito wanted to see me, and they would take me directly to Mosquito.

The took me to Burkina.  I walked together with the people who escorted me.  It took about 72 hours.  Burkina/Beudu is in Kailahun District.  When we got there, they presented me to the commanders.  They presented me to Mosquito, who was seated on a long bench.  He told me to stand there and said “I heard you are a pastor.  I have Muslim Imams here who are now soldiers, trained as rebels.  I want you to join this, my rebel revolution.  I will make you a Major.”  I bowed my head and couldn’t say anything.  He called on the commanders who had escorted me to take me back to where we had been and said he’d call me back again in two weeks.  From there they took me back to Kono, to Superman Ground.  After two weeks, I heard again that Mosquito wanted to see me again back in Burkina.  I went back with an escort. 

When we got to Burkina, Mosquito was not there, and I was told that he was in Liberia.  I was presented to him in Burkina. Rebel soldiers took me to see Mosquito, who received a call on a satellite phone.  I heard him saying into the phone “yes, OK sir, yes sir”.  Mosquito said he had a call from Liberia and had to go to Liberia.  Mosquito said I should be taken back to Superman Ground until he summoned me again.  The rebel commanders spoke of Mosquito as “Bra”.  This is a Krio word that means someone senior to me.  I was taken back to Superman Ground.

I spent two more weeks at Superman Ground.  Rambo said I shouldn’t go far from him because Mosquito said Rambo needed me.  After two weeks, Rambo told me I had to go back to Beudu with another escort of rebels.  This time there were other civilians who also went, as well as other commanders.  I saw commanders who had taken me before.  The civilians and commanders in the group came from Kono, also from Superman Ground.  We were all going to Burkina. 

When we got back to Burkina, we met Mosquito, who said I should stand before him.  He had many bodyguards and other commanders.  He told me if I didn’t answer his question today, “I will kill you and nobody will bury you.  The more your body rots, the greater will be the blessings of God.”  I bowed my head and when I raised it again, I said “It is not the case that I don’t want to join your rebel group, but as a man of God, the position is too small for me.”  He asked what position I wanted.  I told him I wanted to be a field marshal.  Mosquito and all of the others burst out laughing.  He stood and all of the men shouted “Bush chicken” and all fell quiet.  He said “I should make you a field marshal when I am not a five-star general.  My boss, Ghankay Taylor is not a five-star general.  How can I make you a field marshal?”  They took me and the other civilians and said we should go to Dawa, 7 miles away from Burkina/Beudu.  They said we should go for arms and ammunition.