By Brima Sannoh, Pujehun (MRCG/ATJLF Fellow 2025)
In the quiet, sun-scorched town of Pujehun, southern Sierra Leone, the scars of a brutal civil war linger
not only in the physical landscape but in the lives of those who survived its horrors. Over two decades
after the end of the conflict, amputees and war-wounded individuals in Pujehun District continue to
endure neglect, their health deteriorating as promises of lifelong medical care remain unfulfilled.
The Sierra Leonean civil war, which raged from 1991 to 2002, left a trail of devastation. Thousands were
killed, and countless others were maimed by rebel forces, particularly during the notorious “Operation No
Living Thing” phase of the conflict. Pujehun, a district near the Liberian border, bore the brunt of the
violence. Villages were razed, families torn apart, and scores of civilians subjected to unimaginable
brutality, including forced amputations.
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