The sixth prosecution witness in the ongoing RUF trials, TF1-199, a former child soldier has testified how he was abducted by rebels in 1998 and made to become a child soldier.

In his testimony, the witness aged 12 years at the time of his abduction and now 17 years old, said he was on a holiday break to his home town of Madina Loko in the Bombali disrict when suddently they were alerted by heavy bombordment.

Following this, the witness, who made his testimony by video link, said he and his family sought refuge in a nearby forest where they built a temporal shelter.

Whilst at the camp, the witness explained, he and his smaller brother were sent to go feteh water at a nearby stream, and while they were returning were halted by a number of armed men dressed in mixed colours and placed under gun point, searched, striped off of the small money they had, and orderd to follow them to Madina Loko.

On arrival, the witness re-called that they met houses on fire and he saw his uncle's corpse lying in a pool of blood.

The witness further recalled how about forty of them were lined up and placed in two categories, namely elders and children.

The elders, the witness said, were taken for military training while eighteen of them who were children were made into a unit called the small boys units (SBU), and divided amongst various commanders.

According to the witness, he was under the command of one Lt. Marah.

The following day, they were all taken to Bafodia in the Koinadugu district where Colonel Savage was the ground commander and Bradadier Gabriel Mani the overall commander.

Whilst at Bafodia, alongside other child abductees, they were used for food finding, domestic jobs and as ammunition carriers when ever they want to go on attacks.

According to him, he was personally forced by his commader, Lt. Marrah into drug use and sexual abuse of captured girls.

The witness recalled following his commander on a number of attacks including one at Kabala.

The witness noted that he made an attempt to escape at one time but was caught and threatend with death if at any time he attempt to escape again.

"I only got my freedom when, following a meeting in Kabala with some UNAMSIL peacekeepers, the overall comamnder, Bragadier Mani ordered all the men under his control to turn over all child soldiers to the peacekeepers, the witness said.