A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

Checkpoints were established along major travel routes throughout the country and at many border
crossings. Moreover, informal checkpoints guarded by small groups of fighters, often child soldiers,
sprung up across Liberia. The checkpoints were designed for extortion 72 and to control any freedom
of movement within the country. “Every checkpoint someone had to pay.” 73
My family had to run away from Monrovia. We went into Bomi County,
district of Klay. We had to go through check points. As we were crossing,
fighting started. A gun shot missed me, flew in front of my face. When we
reached Bomi County, I decided to come back to Monrovia to my house
to get my belongings. I stayed in Monrovia for three days. I met Taylor’s
soldiers when I was coming back to Bomi. They said that I disobeyed the
order. People were not supposed to leave the area. There was an order that
nobody should leave. I was carrying food and they took food, shoes, made
me lay on the ground for some time. They put me in a prison hole where I
had to sit on a rug until next morning. Then they said “you can go to your
village.” After I was released and before I could reach my village, I came to
another check point. Area commander came…He ordered fifty-two lashes
for disobeying the order (not to leave the area) and then they took me to
another prison where I slept till next morning. Next morning they freed me
and I went to my village in Bomi. 74
Checkpoints were gruesome testaments to the atrocities committed by the warring factions. One
statement giver, now residing in Minnesota, described a checkpoint near Kakata as “hell on earth.
There were bodies in the water, and the scent was so strong [I] could not stand it. [My] sister had
rice. One of the rebel women said, ‘if you give us the rice, we will let you pass.’ People were tied up,
sitting and crying in the sun.” 75 Another told the TRC that there “were dead bodies scattered all along
the roads, many bearing marks of hideous violence. It was common practice for soldiers to tabay 76
their victims and cut out their hearts. I knew that many women were raped. At one checkpoint, I
saw human intestines unraveled and used as a barricade to prevent people from crossing.” 77 Another
statement giver told the TRC that at “a checkpoint on the way…I saw a dead body. The body had been
cut with knives around the chest. Two men were carrying the body and threw it into the bushes.” 78
Yet another described seeing the heads of his dead relatives on a checkpoint near his community. 79
Checkpoints were used by warring factions to target people for execution, detention, assault, and
torture. People trying to flee were “pulled off the line” because of their perceived tribal affiliation,
perceived employment, perceived family relationship, or other perceived affiliation. “[E]very checkpoint
we met up with the question[s] [were] always: ‘Where are you going? What tribe are you? Where
are you from?’ And many more crazy things.” 80
313
Chapter Thirteen