Sierra Leone
Sierra Leonean women's testimonies on rape by RUF terrorists

afrol News, 4 April - New testimonies by refugees returning from Guinea to Sierra Leone, through the "safe passage through rebel-held territory", prove the systematic rape of Sierra Leonean women by RUF terrorists/rebels. The rebels "said they were not going to kill us, but that they would use us until they would be satisfied," one woman who was gang raped reported.

Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels are raping, abducting and killing refugees fleeing camps in Guinea, thereby casting doubt on the viability of a proposed safe passage for the refugees through RUF lines, the New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Tuesday. It documented the abuses from December 2000 through mid-March in the Koinadugu, Kailahun and Kono districts of eastern Sierra Leone, interviewing returnees.

Numerous women returnees described being abducted, raped and/or sexually abused. Human Rights Watch interviewed six women who had been raped and numerous more who were either held or taken away to rebel bases, for a time span varying from a few hours to several weeks.

The testimonies:
Due to food shortages in the refugee camps, thirty-year-old Princess and her family decided in mid-January to leave Nyaedou camp and travel back to Sierra Leone. After stopping over in the Koloma camp in the Parrot's Beak, they crossed into Kailahun district. After being stopped by the RUF, she was selected with five other women of the same age, taken into the bush and gang raped by five rebels. After one week, they were allowed to pass through. Interviewed by HRW, she narrated her ordeal: 

"We had traveled from Nyaedou camp to a few other camps in Guinea to flee from rebel attacks and to find food. Finally we left Kolomba camp mid January and crossed the border into Gelema, Kailahun. The same day we met armed rebels there, some ten in number. We were with around thirty people, including my husband and two sons. Rebels took our property right away, then they walked up to me and told me to come. They pointed out five other women. 

They said that they were not going to kill us, but that they were going to use us until they would be satisfied. They also said that they wanted peace, but that they would not let us go for nothing. Then all six of us were taken deep into the forest by five of them, while our husbands stayed in Gelema town. They said that we would not escape, since our relatives were still in Gelema town. Then deeper into the forest, all of them raped me, one after the other, it did not take long. When they were finished with me, they told me to go. 

I found my way back to town and found my husband and youngest son, but I was told that my ten-year old son Vandy was missing. I haven't seen him since. I met the other women in town later that evening. The only thing they said is that they [the rebels] had done the same to them as they had done to me. The rebels did not allow us to leave, but they gave us water and cassava to eat, and left us alone. There were no commanders among them in Gelema town. After one week we were allowed to pass through. But my son was still missing". 

Thirty-five year old Sia who had been staying in Katkama camp, north of Gueckedou, in Guinea, was abducted and raped by RUF rebels after crossing the border at the end of December 2000. She was taken to Koidu town together with some twenty-five returnees, while her husband was forced to stay behind with other rebels. She described her ordeal: 

"We were with some thirty refugees in our group. All of us were arrested by armed rebels at Kamanjendoh, after they had taken most of our belongings. Some three days later we were taken to another village. There they separated the married men from the women and the unmarried young men. I was in a group of sixteen women and some ten young men. 

Our husbands were forced to stay behind with other rebels. We were told that we had to join them to become their wives, that we would leave for Koidu. While we were taken away, my son was crying for his father, I was the only woman carrying children. We had traveled for a few days when we arrived in Koidu, this was early January. There the men were taken away somewhere else while the women were put into a big house. After a few days, some men came in with clothes and cooking materials. 

The man who gave me the items was callied Sorie. He told me that I would be his wife. The next day he took me and my children to his house, where he raped me the same day. I had no choice since I was afraid for my children, but he treated them well. After two days, nine of the women of my group came by at night and told me to join them. The other six stayed behind because they were too afraid to escape. 

We managed to leave Koidu and traveled through the bush until we reached Kenema. On the way, the other women told me that they were not raped but beaten since they refused. They were older than me. My children and me are here now, but I am worried about my husband". 

Bintu, twenty-seven years, fled Masakondou camp, with many other refugees. In early February on their way to Sierra Leone, they were stopped by RUF rebels at the border town of Dangadu. Bintu described how she was raped by two RUF rebels. 

"We came in by truck, some forty of us. We met the rebels at Dangadu, which is at the border with Kono but still in Guinea. There we had to offload. Most refugees had to strip naked and we were searched. They took most of our property, even the clothes of my children I was carrying. 

Then two of them came up to me and held me. I resisted and pointed at my husband, telling them I was married. They went up to him and tied him up. Then they took me off the road far into the bush. I was carrying my seven months old baby on my back. Inside the bush, they took the baby of my back and pushed me to the ground. They said that they would deal with the refugees today. Then they raped me in turns. It lasted for a couple of hours, after that, they let me go. 

I picked up my baby and went back to the road where I met my husband. Everyone else was gone, I don't know where to. We left for Koquima, which is some 50 miles from Dangadu. It took us 15 days to reach the hospital in Koquima. I was in pain so we could only travel for a few miles per day". 

Twenty-nine year old Sia left Baladu camp on the December 6. The next day, she crossed through Koardu, into Kono with her family, where they encountered a large group of RUF rebels. She described what happened then: 

"All our bags were searched. They took property from us, and told the men not to move. Then they took us, some thirty women, away under gunpoint to the village of Koardu. Once there, one of them called me into the bush. He told me to come with him to collect my belongings, which would be returned to me. 

When I was close to him, he grabbed me by force and took me into the forest. If I would scream he said he would kill me. He raped me once, then I was let go. When I arrived at the village again, the other women had left already, but I managed to join them further down the road. My children were with them. None of us decided to go back to where we had left our husbands. We had no choice but to move on. 

On the way, we talked about what had happened to us. A number of women spoke about being raped, just like what they did to me. I can't exactly tell how many but it was more than five. Others complained about the loss of their belongings. All of us went to Koidu, which was a two-day-walk. My father, who lives in Koidu, took me to Freetown to get a medical check-up. I was treated in Connaught hospital. My husband is still missing". 

Kadiatu, thirty-two-years, left Kissidougou town in Guinea in early January. She crossed the border into Koinadugu district with some thirty refugees. On their way to Kabala, they met rebels who screened the returnees; looking for Guineans and weapons. Kadiatu and at least one other woman from their group were screened separately from the others and gang-raped. She narrated her ordeal: 

"All of us arrived at Dankawali checkpoint where rebels told us to stand in line. They were checking whether there were any Guineans among us. They checked our properties and took whatever they could use. They occupied an old school building and asked the women in, one by one. A woman name Fati was called in before me. It took a long time before she came out. 

Then it was my turn. There were five men inside the room. One of them lifted up my skirt to see whether they liked my thighs. They found my legs smooth. They said that they needed me to have a good time, and ripped my clothes of. The first one who was called, 'Hold Me Cap', raped me three times while he was asking all kinds of questions about Guinea. He told me not to worry since they [the rebels] would retaliate. Then the second raped me twice. He was called 'Lebanese'.I started to feel pain so I offered the third one the little money I had left so he would stop after one time. The fourth man asked me what tribe I was. He then said that he would use me only once since he had a good friend who was a Temne by tribe, just like me. By the time the last one used me, I was dizzy and in a lot of pain. I hardly reacted anymore and I think he noticed because he did it slow to me and got up after a few minutes and left. 

I was released but could barely walk. All of us were released the same day and were told to move on. In the next village, Fati was complaining about pain in her abdomen. Then of course I knew. There was no chance to hide it from each other. I have a painful infection ever since during that day."

Source: Based on Human Rights Watch

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