Several years after its operations in the mountains, hills and forest of Nimba County, the what was behind the veil of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) continued to be revealed by those whose who either witnessed or directly experienced their misdeeds.

In the war in which thousands of Liberians lost their lives, the NPFL, which initiated it, is blamed for wanton killings and rape. For example, at the TRC Public Hearings in Nimba County Monday, a witness has revealed that fighters of the NPFL raped and killed worshippers of the "Never-Die Church and a commander gruesomely massacred 28 ethnic Mandingoes. The Analyst lifts the story as released by the TRC Information Department.

Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) rural public hearings continued Monday with a weeping witness detailing accounts of how fighters of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) gang raped her and others after they killed scores of worshippers of the "Never-Die-Church" in Karnplay, Gbehlay-Geh District, Nimba County.

Aboitha Keigar said the fighters, she only referred to as "the rebels" invaded their church in 1990 and gang raped her and others. "This war that took place it suffered me a lot and they raped me. Those that raped me, I don't know them.

They raped me until I am not to myself today. I am suffering and my hips are hurting me as I am sitting here. They beat me all over my body and I am having a lot of pains today," the 60 year old woman testified in her Gio vernacular through an English interpreter.

She told the hearing that due to the gang rape she is experiencing pains throughout her body and needs urgent medical attention. Madame Keigar: "The people that treated me they treated me so bad and I am having body pains today. I don't know them and I don't know where they are coming from. That is what I can remember today."

She named two of the fighters that participated in the gang rape as one Wongan and Lekpailey, adding that they raped several women in the church and killed others because they said they were members of the "Never-Die-Church."

The witness explained that during and after the incident she was unconscious and could not remember all of the fighters except the two who were notorious.

At the same time, a Commander of Charles Taylor's defunct National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) reportedly massacred over 48 ethnic Mandingoes in the town of Karnplay, Nimba County, a survivor told commissioners of Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

Testifying recently during public hearings in Sanniquellie, Nimba County, Amara Jabateh said the commander, one Unee Kazulu entered the town on New Year's Day in 1990 and began a mass killing and slaughter of ethnic Mandingoes.

Jabateh said the fighters on Kazulu's command move from house to house in the town and killed scores of ethnic Mandingoes who they accused of sympathizing with the government of President Samuel Kanyon Doe.

"He came and said well, today we are here. Your Mandingo people, just supporting the government? Today that the ending part of your. We will kill all of you," he recounted.

In colloquial English Jabateh said: "From there they go to the other people house. The Kromah family house.- When he entered the house he grabbed the old ma son out and knocked him down.

Then the old lady said your kill me and leave my son and right away they kill the boy and cut the old lady throat. After this, they went in Vaflee Dolley's yard. Those women were there and only two men were among them. When he broke the door, he halted Vaflee.

He pulled him outside and he said bring his brother outside right on the road and he killed them. Before that, they catch Bankalee who was the police commander. They carried him right in the intersection of Kahnplay sat him down and said today your own finish.

His women go there and said if your want goat or money or any other thing we will give it to your. Your release my husband but they kill all of them. And one other Kamara man was there from Lofa as a policeman he did not know the Kahnplay bush good and while he was running they fired that one and kill him."

During the killings, the witness explained, the fighters said they were executing an order from the NPFL high command to kill all ethnic Mandingoes and Krahns. He said during the massacre, the fighters smashed the heads of the babies on walls, raped women and disembowel pregnant women.

"They said they were doing so because of order given to them by their commanders to kill the Mandingo and Krahn people. They made that announcement. I can understand Gio and can speak Gio more then Gio man himself.

Then from there right by the other road, they met Kabadee wife, they rape that one right there and tell those boys to use her and say and Mandingo woman your use to say we are kaflee.

They hit the babies on the wall. The children were confused in the town. When the children came they started putting them on the wall. Right behind my brother house the wall that there they put rock over them.

Then they go to my ma house. In the English word they say aunty my mother sister. They killed that one with a stick. My brother and myself were running away form them, they short that one in the chest," the witness explained.

Jabateh said after the killings, Kazulu and his men set most of the houses owned by ethnic Mandingoes ablaze leaving behind a trail of fleeing Mandingoes and smoke over Karnplay.

The TRC is an independent body set up to investigate the root causes of the Liberian crisis, document human rights violations, review the history of Liberia, and put all human rights abuses that occurred during the period from 1979 to 2003 on record.

TRC mandate is to also identify victims and perpetrators and make recommendations on amnesty, prosecution and reparation. The ongoing rural public hearing is being held under the theme: "Confronting Our Difficult Past, For A Better Future."

Students Urged To Persevere

Liberian students have been told to persevere in their determination for perfection and quest to attain quality education for the good of society.

Speaking recently in Brewerville City at program marking the honoring of Academic Excellent Students at the Diana E. Davis Elementary and Junior High Schoo, the Chairlady of the Girls Empowerment Programme (GEP) Ms. Deddeh M. Howard said "it was about time for young to be focused in their academic pursuit."

She urged students to prepare for the enormous challenges that lie ahead of the country's emerging development endeavors She cautioned students of the Diana E. Davis Elementary and Junior High School, to always go beyond the complexities of the time to keep in the classroom and avail themselves for acquiring quality education.

"Success is a long and hard journey, because it never comes easy but requires endurance." Ms. Howard, a campaigner for increase girl's education, used the occasion to caution the teaching community to always go beyond the call of duty in imparting knowledge to the youthful population who according to her is still in a traumatic state.

She noted that the teaching profession, which is referred to as 'poor job', is a strategic one in the building and maintaining of sanity towards greatness.

She also encouraged parents to always provide the necessary assistance to keep their children in school, indicating that the 'greater responsibility of grooming our future leaders is in our hands'.

"Nothing should ever mitigate our resolve for the future of our children, because the greater gift and treasure is the ability to have the child acquired solid education".

The Girls' Empowerment Programme (GEP) is a not-for-profit organization set up to cater to the well-being of the girl child in a holistic fashion.