[00:00:00]
>> My mother in law's house and the skull is shooting in the air I was already up in a room locked in a lock in key by this seventy year old I never knew before but I heard my children screaming and shouting. And I just knew they were all dead.

[00:00:19]
And then I heard them knocking and kicking things you know this how the houses were using houses very thin you hear everything and they were close together. In closer view. And then it was quiet. And then the same group of soldiers came to the house hours in and I heard a German screaming going to a shooting in the air this family had I believe seven or eight children but the oldest was seventeen and the younger is I don't know maybe three or four but.

[00:00:54]
I just felt like over this. I'm just I'm dead because I didn't even feel that these people will protect me but they did know now one of the children said a word that I was there. The soldiers keep in the house and were knocking over chairs and screaming if I if we find like women are holding embroil holo with skin them alive and buried.

[00:01:22]
And my heart I mean I can feel it now. Those People. They came to my door and then I took my classes of and I said my last prayer gave myself to God because I said where that time I didn't know whether I knew my father was dead I didn't know what I have been to my mother I don't know where my husband was I don't know where my sister where I know my brother was maybe in hiding or maybe dead and I just knew my children were dead so I was ready to die.

[00:01:55]
Took my glasses of said my less. Prayin present gave my whole. Self to court and then all of a sudden occurred to me What if your children live who will take care of your children. There I pray safe Lord and he did because this man the soldier was outside the door at that time and he said there's a pack I'm going to shoot this door down he told the lady move move I'm going to shoot the dog out and as I prayed.

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I heard him say I'm thirsty we have cool water the woman scream YES I have cold water and she rushed to get cool water and he yelled he said I didn't come from call what I came for women to hold them bowl of water in the confusion he moved what I'm do I went a went around the rest of the house went downstairs saw another little hut with a padlock and he blew the door down with a machine gun I heard a loud thump.

[00:02:57]
And a gun. And then I then I breathed. A sigh of relief. And for one hour the family stood still they didn't move and I didn't move. And on and on forcing the I needed to use the restroom so I went to the to the window and I call and they didn't remember it.

[00:03:23]
So. So that was part of my torture at the beginning. Hours we had to stay in the bush for three days. I in the night at the same boy would take me form. Trying to find a place to stay eventually I managed to find my children and eventually I left and went to Monrovia when I got to move here.

[00:03:55]
I went to my sister Sarah said it issues house and we. More or less had to turn ourselves in I went to the convent first and the convent took me into the mansion and the mansion. Then. The talk went to the mansion and we had we more or less turn ourselves in and when I went back to my sister my foster sister's house.

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In about half an hour. They called me back to the mansion to find out why I was at the mansion and I explained that I was turned myself in. And they told me to stay at my first house so I was under sort of a rest but not quite.

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House arrest and from there I was taken to a house arrest when they wanted me to give up my job they came and told me that I had to resign from the World Health Organization I said no and the church people told me that if you do not.

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Resign you would go in a house arrest and now only that you have to have your own house to go on a house arrest so our place of the house arrest with me and my son with my three sisters were placed under house arrest and. This was horrible because the day was under house arrest.

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We were told that only my sister would he talk to me and I was free to could come and bring us food and. But some family members came and brought us food and they were arrested then and church people call on his walkie talkie and before long some of the.

[00:05:37]
George bull he came to to look at us and they put us in a room and told us that they had to think about what to do for us what would be our fate and. We were terrified because they could have killed every one of us. And during the six weeks were under house arrest on.

[00:06:00]
Hours of the night people come knocking at the door to just blow dollars The only thing that bless us. We communicated with where Berry police that were taking care of us and there was kind enough. To. Have a sense of protection to protect anybody from doing any harm to us.

[00:06:35]
The person I really was was harmed was my mother she was and. She was in prison for one month in a mansion jail she was only bare flow she didn't have. Even a piece of. Cloth to sleep on for over two weeks before one of the soldiers but most of our burn her mattress.

[00:06:59]
But she tells her story in her book so I don't have to go through that and and she her story she says that. When a coup took place when he shot to shoot my father did. You are vile so I'm not going to shoot you and they shot my father he was killed right in front of her.

[00:07:20]
And she said that. After the shooting these people were she couldn't tell but they had black. They were. All they had mass on their face so she couldn't tell but she did hear them saying that now after the shot my father said Now we can get out twenty five thousand dollars so for twenty five thousand dollars that's what he was worth twenty five dollars.

[00:07:49]
Anyway my mother. They call her out. To be. They said as she had to give ALL million. Release and. She torture cheap-O. she said you know you just put it on the radio and tell people that were nice a million dollars. I'm sure some of my friends around will we can and so we I feel that it was greed and envy that this powerful onto Liberia and they were just after money and power.

[00:08:30]
So I was told that I only have few minutes so I don't know how to shorten this but. I just want to summarize and say I survived. And. It was difficult because I didn't have a job after they got after we came from house arrest after six weeks were released on house arrest one of my sisters had to stay in house arrest until December the year and.

[00:09:00]
I felt that I should stay in Liberia because my husband when he came from political Kamala prison which was twenty my after twenty months to some of the twenty third where he was released he all of a sudden he fell out a piece in his ear that he wanted to go for.

[00:09:17]
To come for health reasons the United States he will literally driven from the U.S. embassy told him that he could not. Get any V.C. who was on the blacklist so we decided to stay in Liberia after a year the government called me for a job I worked with the come command combatant community diseases program for children I work with children program preventing malaria diarrhea etc and I was privileged to travel sometimes because I kept project was funded by USA ID.

[00:09:53]
So within five years I mean first of all the callers for a government ID. National I.D. card and this is when I realized this tribalism started to ask me what my tribe I said at that time I was so frustrated tribe I said I have no tribe. And there's one man so to my her.

[00:10:17]
So then I said yes the fifth daughter and I'm proud to be his daughter what else but he said by your father's book Pele your mother by Pele What are you I said I don't have a tribe I don't need a tribe we are all Liberians So this national ID tribe for the first and natural ID card had tribe on it this is when this tribalism started because when I was younger I mean we never celebrated the fact that we came my ancestors came from Liberia we celebrated the freedom and liberty that Liberia while Liberia was established for all all people were blacks that's why we celebrated and we were integrated in the Liberian community and I am proud of so within five years after the coup ours privileged to hear about the Hubert H. Humphrey fellowship program and I applied and one general at the Ministry of Health helped me out general Barclay he said Don't worry you applied it as in fate.

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And sure enough I applied over twenty seven Liberians and I applied I was one of them so I left Liberia and this is how I Liberia and I was able to take my children because otherwise it would have been difficult for me to get a visa and we'd be reunited with my family in the United States.

[00:11:38]
So my husband would come off and on and. And when the war broke out. His last visit was into Simba So I told him you know going back to December nineteenth. One thousand. Nine So ninety nine when he was. Going back so we. Lost everything we had again but I was OK in life in the United States at the integrated Fortunately it was a struggle but my children got a education I visited Liberia twice in year two thousand and two thousand and six and I'm pleased to say the first visit I stayed two days because it was hard I was just too painful to see the destruction but in two thousand and six I stayed two weeks and I'm eager and I'm planning to go back so my two children went to live.

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All of us and second child went to Liberia. And they are all gear up to help in the development of Liberia and I am determined to. Follow my heart and do something for Liberia I'm determined to help with the development and I'm determined to empower Liberians in the United States to get a profession that will make them ready to go and open small businesses and with grass with development to grow Liberian and everybody to have to be an official a government a government person you can work wherever you are each town and village need all of us so everybody wherever you are there can hear my voice get your profession always be kept into a business premises whatever but go and be determined to help develop Liberia that's the message I gave in to my my children and that's the message I give to everybody thank you.

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Yes. If I have time I will give my message to the. Scene but you all have questions so I will give you the privilege questions thank you very much. Madam witness for. Taking your time to share your experience because you know the center some perspectives. Benz. You know our country thank.

[00:14:07]
You seems you know we extend to you so put it. What a devil your father and other family members of my tree and of course of the company. That. Your blood are Liberians who have passed on us but fertilize our country and lasting peace. Should. Be the result and food.