WNT:Sierra Leone Amputees

F R E E T O W N, Sierra Leone, Dec. 3 -- From the air, Sierra Leone looks like a vision of paradise, with lush jungles and unspoiled beaches.

But at ground level, it’s overwhelmingly clear that the tiny West African nation is the site of tragedy. And a Vietnam veteran who lost both his legs in that war is finding a bond with the victims of this one.

“I’ve seen the killing fields of Cambodia and other atrocities that happened to folks in El Salvador and Nicaragua, but nothing can prepare you for seeing these people all mutilated,” said David Evans, an American volunteer.

Evans is working to salvage the lives and the dignity of the people in Sierra Leone who have become victims of Sierra Leone’s 5-year-old civil war.

About three years ago, the RU.F, the “Revolutionary United Front” started terrorizing the people of Sierra Leone by amputating their hands, arms and legs. The amputations are designed to serve as the rebel trademark, a warning of what they were capable of. Most of the victims are innocent civilians who had nothing to do with politics or war.

“Without a doubt, without a doubt, this is the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen,” Evans said. “Civilians targeted just to be mutilated, just to mutilate them to warn others.”

There are so many amputee victims that a special camp has been set up for them in Sierra Leone’s capital. Asked what they blame for the war, the victims give a surprising answer: Diamonds.

Amputation is Rebels’ Calling Card The gems are smuggled out of Sierra Leone and into world markets, or they are traded for cash and weapons. Either way, the sparkling gems are believed to be the financiers of Sierra Leone’s revolution.

The rebels, many of them teenagers high on drugs, storm into village and attack people at random. They even target infants. They choose amputation because they consider it the most effective means of spreading terror and intimidation.