Catco Sesay vividly recalls a cold night in 1998 when rebels attacked his family home in Port Loko town during Sierra Leone’s civil war.
“I was only seven years old when they raided our home that night,” Catco recounted. “My elder brother tried to escape with me through the back door.
The rebels saw us and opened fire as we ran. A bullet struck my left arm.”
He and his brother managed to escape and they hid in the bush for over two weeks. By the time Catco was taken to a government hospital, the injury had worsened beyond treatment and his arm had to be amputated.
Catco’s story is one among thousands that reflect the deep scars left by the eleven-year civil war. Though the conflict ended in 2002, its impact continues to shape the lives of survivors across the country.
To honour victims and survivors of the war, President Julius Maada Bio has declared January 18 as National Remembrance Day, describing it as an annual “day of reflection to deepen national cohesion and unity.”
Catco Sesay, Secretary General of the Amputee and War Wounded Association, expressed appreciation that a key recommendation of the 2002 Truth and Reconciliation Commission has finally been adopted. “They have not forgotten about us,” he said.
“War is not good. We never want it to happen again in Sierra Leone…never again.”
The Ministry of Information and Civic Education has called on the public to join the national observance of January 18 as a collective act of remembrance and solidarity. Minister Chernor Bah has emphasized that Remembrance Day is an opportunity for Sierra Leoneans to “reflect on the past while taking conscious and patriotic steps to do right by Mama Salone.”
