Amputees and war wounded overcoming the odds, entreats Government, CSOs and Journalist to up their game

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson

War wounded and amputees in Northern Sierra Leone have beseeched government, civil society organizations and Journalists to up their game in addressing the imperative recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) regarding victims of war as successive governments have not adequately fulfilled most of the recommendations.

Highlights of the repatriation proposal include skills training, micro credits, health, education, community reparations, symbolic representation plus provision of pensions to victims that were badly affected by the country’s civil unrest. 

With support from Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) through the Media Reform Coordinating Group Sierra Leone (MRCG-SL) in assessing whether some of the imperative recommendations of the TRC regarding amputees and war wounded have been adhered to or not and for war victims of the civil unrest to disclose what has kept them going over the years. 

As specified in Paragraph 492 of the TRC recommendations that:

“a monthly pension be paid to all adult amputees, other war wounded who experienced a 50% or more reduction in earning capacity as a result of their injury and victims of sexual violence. 

The amount should be determined by NaCSA who will be required to balance the needs of the victims with what government can afford and in doing so, must take into consideration the basic living scale for Sierra Leone as set by the United Nations Development Program. 

NaCSA is also required to also take into account the amounts provided to ex-combatants on a monthly basis under the NCDDR program and the pensions received by the war wounded SLA soldiers. 

The Ministry of Finance, in particular, the Accountant General’s Department, should be entrusted with coordinating the distribution of pension payments.”

Mary Conteh said her leg was shot at Koiquama town in Kono District during a rebel attack and efforts from medics proved unfruitful leading her to permanent disability. 

She explained that even able-bodied people find it difficult to survive in Sierra Leone and being a disable makes life even more miserable because there is little or no space and opportunities for such people to thrive. 

“Although I have not re-married because of my amputated leg, I’m thankful to government and a Norwegian woman that repatriated me and my three children to the Oslo Amputees Camp where other amputees and I received trainings on Gara-Tie-Dying and soup making and a financial package from the Ministry of Social Welfare was provided to us. 

The arts I mastered have proven to be helpful for my survival, and I am thankful because they enable me to make ends meet in this difficult economic situation, she explained.

Kennedy Kapri Koroma is a final year student at the Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology studying Language Arts and Linguistic. He lost one of his parent to the civil war and he grew up all by himself. 

“I appreciate God Almighty that I’m gradually beating the odds, but I wish my dad was still alive. Ever since he passed away, I have been struggling to take care of myself   as I have not received any help towards my education as someone adversely affected by the war.

The Assistant Director Northern Region at the Ministry of Social Welfare Josephine Saccoh confirmed that some work has been done by the government of Sierra Leone and other organizations on repatriation as well as providing material and financial supports to war wounded and amputees, but she appealed for continued support to be provided specially to single parents, children and those badly affected by the country’s civil war.

She recalled that initially war victims were reluctant to relocate from Freetown to the provinces where houses were built for them; stating that when she was working in the food program for the Norwegian Refugee Camp a huge number of war wounded repatriated to the provinces were catered for.

“With the National Commission for War Affected Children as Coordinator for the Northern Region where I now serve as Assistant Director for the Ministry of Social Welfare, I can confirm that my office with support from government through NaCSA and other partners has rolled out several schemes successfully for War wounded and amputees in the region, Gbasia Community in Bombali District are the latest beneficiaries that received cassava processing machines and cash support.

Former Bombali District Chairman for Amputees and War Wounded Mohamed Osman Bangura who currently serves as the General Secretary for the Oslo Amputee Camp shared his experience as being an amputee since 1996 when his right leg was amputated at Kissy in Freetown.

‘’Irrespective of my disability, I’m proud to be seen as an exemplary figure for many people in my community, ‘’ he said. 

Life has been a bitter-sweet experience, he said. 

Starting off in 2006 as an Electrical Engineering graduate from the Government Technical Institute in Freetown, he proceeded to study Accounting and Business studies at the Northern Polytechnic under intense pressure to generate funds for his college fees. He said he had to offer private teaching services and his Gara-tie-dying skills helped him immensely to raise money to support his academic pursuit.

Bangura believed that sustainable peace in Sierra Leone lies in the hands of the amputees and War wounded because they still conjure the grotesque images of the brutal civil war. Therefore, the more they are catered and cared for, the better their minds will be taken off the bitterness encountered during the country’s civil conflict.

“I appreciate successive and current government for efforts and assistance given to me and fellow war wounded and amputee household heads including the six million plus equivalent $600 tagged by NaCSA as the final government entitlements meant to up keep our families and livelihood.

And for increasing access to education and health care services for children of amputees and other war wounded in recent times, I hope to see government’s robust intervention to institute strict monitoring mechanisms, to enforce fully enacted laws and to implement the TRC recommendations for amputees and war wounded in Sierra Leone.’’

‘’For the Civil Society Organizations and Journalists, you are our mouth piece and you have the TRC documents. I’m appealing to you all that it is time to switch your focus to issues pertaining disable persons, amputees and war wounded in a bid to keeping the minds of war victims off the sad occurrences and experiences of the civil war in Sierra Leone,” Mohamed stated.

This story was produced by the Media Reform Coordinating Group-Sierra Leone (MRCGSL) with Support from the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF).