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Refugees from Sierra Leone and Liberia have endured some of the most horrific and violent atrocities in human history. The wars in both countries were notorious for their extreme brutality. Rival factions were responsible for the death of more than 300,000 civilians (250,000 in Liberia; 50,000 in Sierra Leone), including an estimated 50,000 children. Mass terrorization of entire villages and towns was routine. Common practices included summary execution, systematic rape and enslavement of women, abduction and use of children as soldiers and wanton destruction of property. Thousands were maimed, and over two million civilians were displaced. By the turn of the century, Guinea was host to the largest concentration of refugees on the continent of Africa, hosting nearly 480,000 individuals from these two adjoining countries.
War atrocities frequently described by these refugees included intentional hacking off of limbs, carving the initials of rebel factions into victims' skin, slaughtering pregnant women to bet on the gender of the unborn child, and the use of girls as human sacrifices. Numerous people have reported that they were forced to cut, cook, eat, and serve human flesh and internal organs, including those of their own parents and infants. Countless numbers of children and teenagers were forced to watch the torture, rape and brutal murders of their parents and siblings. In many cases family members -- including chidren -- were forced to rape, murder and mutilate each other. During these acts, victims were forbidden to show any emotion or in many cases, were commanded to laugh. In some instances people who shed tears in response to these atrocities were punished by being permanently blinded. In regions where attacks occurred, large portions of the population had to hide in the dense and inhospitable forest for long periods without food or water and had to walk for many miles to seek refuge, often falling into ambushes on the way. Large numbers were beaten, robbed, extorted and humiliated when attempting to cross national borders into safety. Women and teen girls frequently reported that they were raped by Guinean soldiers at the border while seeking protection.
The results of Center for Victims of Torture's initial assessment in Guinea clearly indicated that these experiences of torture and war atrocities had left profound psychological scars. A large proportion of the refugees were suffering from depression, lethargy, hopelessness, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Many were unable to make meaningful contributions to their families and communities. Most found it difficult to imagine rebuilding their lives.