Ishmael from Sierra Leone, 16 years old

Full transcript of Ishmael's story

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Then for my own testimony, when I was a baby, I was raised by my great-grandmother, so I was with [her] in 1997 when the rebels came to the city. The capital of Sierra Leone. Freetown. Because I was in the city, Freetown. So they were looking for youth to join them. I was with my great grandma with two of my uncles. So that morning, we woke up early in the morning and we just hearing gunshots. The country is covered in smoke and fire. Then people say, the rebels have come. Since that time, we don't know what they look like, if they are human beings, if they are animal, we don't know, because we never see them.

So, they said rebels has come, so some of my neighbor describe them to my great grandmother. Then my great grandmother said, ‘well since this is the condition they are looking for youth to join them so they will fight and overcome the government and rule the country, so I want you guys to jump through a window and hide there for a while. If they came here, they didn't see no youth guys, they will just go away and do what they are doing.'