00.01.00.00

Monkey

A soldier's mascot for the bush war, supposed to offer protection for the men on the frontlines. In Sierra Leone a group of Nigerian soldiers prepares for battle on the border with Liberia. They're peace keepers, here to stop the vicious war being waged between the Sierra Leone government and rebels.

01.25

Refugees arrive, frightened out of their wits. Estimates of the numbers who've fled the fighting range between

200 000 and half a million. Until earlier this year the AFRC rebels held power in Sierra Leone's capital.

1.42

ECOMOG soldiers

Nigerian reinforcements enter Sierra Leone over the Liberian border, where ECOMOG is based.

1.49

On back of truck

Nigerian forces, with British help, drove the the rebels out of the capital, Freetown, in February and reinstated President Kabbah in March. But reinstating the president in the capital Freetown has not brought peace to the countryside. The rebels have regrouped and now they're mounting a cruel guerrila war where it's ordinary people who are most under attack.

2.11

Town

Sierra Leone's villages and towns have become Nigerian military camps.

Kamajors

Sierra Leone's army has largely switched sides and joined the rebels. It's meant ECOMOG and their British allies have had to recruit ethnic tribal groups to help them.

2.28

They're the Kamajors. Hunters from the bush. Fighters with magic who can allegedly shrug off bullets. Amulets and colourful festishes are they say, their most powerful weapons in this primitive battle ground.

2.50

As young men, each Kamajor was initiated into the secret hunting rites of their forefathers. Now they're charged with hunting the rebels. With British military training it's hoped they might bring peace to Sierra Leone but increasingly it seems unlikely.

3.05

VOX POP

We are the Kamajors. We actually came from the Almighty Allah's heart. He gave us something which I can't tell you much about because I don't know about it. I'm working with a spiritual something I don't understand. But I believe in it and I believe in God.

3.21

Singing Kamajors

Songs of victory. Age old African magic serves as self-protection for modern political ideals. Are they to be the new Sierra Leone army? Many fear their loyalties are frail and mercenary but for now they say they are with the Sierra Leone's government.

VOX POP

I'm fighting for the party. I'm fighting for Tejan Kabbah. We voted for Tejan Kabbah.

VOX POP

Our fetishes keep the junta's grenades away from us. They run away from us.

The militia, in common with the spirits, enjoy respect. They freed the town Kenema from the junta, even before the Nigerian peacekeepers advanced on the town. Wherever a Kamajor with his pouch full of magic things goes, people give him a wide berth.

4.26

Ecomog Officer

The Nigerian commander of the peace force in Kenama has a problem with his magic allies. They've begun to plunder.

Get out! Get out! We don't want to see anyone here... Tell them to get out...

4.53

Nigerian soldiers stop Kamajor driven cars with the booty on the back. The sacks must go back to the storeroom they were stolen from.

5.07

Mercenaries

It's most controversial that the Kamajors have been receiving support from British backed mercenaries. These images are from 1995 when mercenaries were last responsible for defeating Sierra Leone's rebels. Their philosophy is to utilise overwhelming force to achieve peace in the quickest time possible. They're mercenaries from Executive Outcomes, a company closely linked to Sandline. The British government who've been instrumental in searching for a more forceful way of dealing with the Sierra Leone crisis.

5.47

Boy with head

This Kamajor boy was used as a scout by the mercenaries. He holds the head of a young rival.

Kamajor Fighting

The Kamajor are happy to discuss democracy but do they know what it really means.

Kamajor Spiritual Leader

We are only friends of the Nigerian army for the purpose of restoring the Sierra Leone to democracy.

6.12

Kamajor Leader

The spirits of the forests are loose and believe in free choice. They believe in Islam, magic and the eternal hunt.

6.28

ECOMOG has issued orders for the Kamajor to stay in their barracks unless they're fighting the rebels.

6.35

For now the Kamajors and Nigerian troops are pushing on together. The rebels in the North East of the country are putting up fierce resistance. At the Bo checkpoint the Nigerian troops have locked up their prisoners of war. Mostly youngsters, who took up arms for a lost cause.

7.00

Tank

Bo, SL's second largest town has been almost completely destroyed. Most of the inhabitants have fled the fighting into the countryside. Traditional hunters, the Kamajor now rule the town. And they can't wait to conquer the rest of the country. But in order to do so they are fighting their own brothers and taking no prisoners.

7.32

Marching Kamajor

When Sierra Leone does find peace, who will send the Kamajors back to the bush? They see themselves as ready to be the country's new legitimate army.

Kamajor Policeman

But with some wearing ‘Kamajor Police' armbands and taking over civil duties that's no joke.

7.57

Sierra Leone's army has virtually been wiped out by the civil war. The Nigerians have brought the Kamajors and ordinary Sierra Leoneans together to discuss the issue. Three days earlier this town was at the center of a war. Now everyone's thanking the peacekeepers for their salvation.

8.21

Gun tilt to Kamajor leader

One honourary speaker finds himself part of the dignitaries for the first time ever. He comes straight from the bush, and he's the local Kamajor commander.  Today he agrees to put his troops under the command of the Nigerians but many are questioning whether his forces will obey orders once the thrill of the fight passes.

Who can say how long that's going to last. While international diplomats come to grip with the mayhem running rife through West Africa the Kamajor and Sierra Leonean anarchy are just one more African quandry to be dealt with.