Girls soldier: his tale of horror

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Author's Note: finally reporting girls raped soldier who was missing a photo was published last Sunday in the International section of the newspaper El Mundo. Here I put the whole story, full text for space that could not be published in the newspaper. The two magazines in stories rejected without reading a sentence. They said they were not interested in the topic, without. The story must be known perhaps to try not to re-enter. My deepest admiration for these women who do not cry no surrender. Three, mothers, learned to laugh again.

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They had 11, 14 and 15 years. Three girls, three soldiers. Three stories silent, buried for 20 years that has looked the other way. Even among them is in these interviews when they first hear it lived by the other. Speak little at first, slowly, with some fear. Remember. Smile. They help each other. Never cry or seem weak. They look without looking. And suddenly decide once, after two decades of silence, narrate the horror.

(The names of the three women are false at the express wish of them. They fear retaliation and do not want to be recognized)

Rosalina

Rosalina marks the exact spot where he was kidnapped. "There, at the well ", says sitting under a tree in his humble and clean house inside Gaza province which took one morning to arrive. "We saw dust. My twin sister and I were playing. They were the two p.m.. A neighbor started screaming, but it gave us time to flee ". A battalion rename, guerrilla opposition to Frelimo government, entered his village day. Surprised the drunken army soldiers. It took the two sisters and some of the village children. There began to Rosalina torture. How old were you? "We had eleven years", responds.

They killed a child in front of all for us to see what happened to those who ran away

The soldiers were all taken to a base hidden amid the thick jungle. "We put in a near skewer, like oxen, where we locked. As in the sample survey eat anything I stuck one Paliza, said he wanted to run. They killed a child in front of all for us to see what happened to those who ran away ", explains tone with distant. "If we wanted to pee had to warn the guards Then we accompanied one or more men to look at us. We tried everything we could stand to not go ".

It did not last long being "won", based soldiers a week entered the yard and selected their women, their women 11 years. Now were "sex slaves". "I was separated from my sister. We are men and we chose not to speak. Every time we looked at were beginning llorar. I thought about what that man was doing to me and looked at my sister and I could not hold back the tears. His was a very big fat ". The violated, without, a su antojo.

The fact that your heart leap through the air interpreted it as a curse and for some time no one wanted to touch me

But, Rosalina was lucky that his "owner" stepped on a mine and his body exploded in pieces. While the other soldiers saw his heart jump into the air. "When I heard was happy that this man was not going to touch me, but other soldiers saw me and beat me celebrate beat almost kill me. The good thing is that his heart jumped interpreted it as a curse and for some time no one wanted to touch me ".

Time passed, Rosalina's twin sister managed to escape the camp and she was transferred to the base of the famous General Gomes who describes: "He had the soul of a dog". On that basis, already 14 years, Rosalina changes from a mere object of use the service of the troops to be a soldier. "It started instruction in a battalion of women. All cried every night. ¿Iba at having to kill?, wondered. I prayed every night to die ".

The soldiers forced their mothers to pose babies on the ground and kill themselves with a stick on the head

With 15 however years, Rosalina began fighting. Either that or was executed. "It hurt a lot to see so many people kill. We would go into villages and forced soldiers to pose mothers to their babies on the ground and kill themselves with a stick on the head. Once we enter into a village and began killing infants and children with machetes. We got scared. Reculamos and commander be shot saved us from returning to headquarters and say to General Gomes who fight on the front to finish ". (Then they laugh remembering how sometimes all fired without looking to see who fought).

Those were times of a cruel war in which everything was fucking lawful. "We spent a lot of hunger. Once we got to a village from which he had fled the troops of Frelimo. They left food on fire. We started eating and suddenly we realized we were eating humans. It was a trap ".

We started eating and suddenly we realized we were eating humans. It was a trap

The war ended. Rosalina spent the last five years with a commander who selected her as his wife. "I never wanted. I spent more than five years without having a panic menstruation and when I arrived I was pregnant. I left him and went home after the peace agreement. (He offered to move in together to her village). In le quise volver a view ". What do you remember of those times? She shut, think a few seconds and says "I have an incurable wound on the bottom of my heart". He gets up and goes.

Laura

Laura came home from school with three friends when the Renamo troops kidnapped in Inhambane province. "We were taken to a base and threatened to kill us all if we tried to escape. Had killed an entire group for an attempt to escape. Always leaving one free to tell ", Laura recalls his first contact with his new life. Laura tells talk less but similar situations experienced by Rosalina. "I went the first day not to pee", says laughter from all.

Renamo base was attacked and had to flee to the mountain, far from home, not know where they were. "We cried. I slept and dreamed of escape. So for months ". She has fewer adjectives horror, but the truth is you do not need too much detail to understand. "No you could not deny to be with the one with several hombres. There were no, nothing. If you needed three commanders did what they wanted ", explains. Laura also recalls the times he spent in combat and shot without looking, fear. "Once I hit a beating scare. I was watching as a mother was forced to kill his son and saw that scared me ", says.

There were no, nothing. If you needed three commanders did everything that they wanted

But mine had licensed as dreamed and took a leg for life. "I was shot in the leg in an encounter with Frelimo and stepped on a mine trying to escape with the other. The next thing I remember is I woke up in a hospital in Inhambane. Frelimo troops had captured and sent to hospital ". You wanted to win the war? "I wanted to end up all. I did not care who won ". What do you remember if you think of those days? "I remember with pride that I helped save people (speaking of people killed or did not escape).

Today Laura has four children, a husband who abandoned her and very little help. "Maybe I left because I'm poor, but we already knew when I knew ", explained with a certain innocence. It has value, much. Decided adult and go to school kidnapped him with 15 years and completed the equivalent secondary. "Never repeat a year,", rinsed with pride. He is afraid that the wooden prosthesis spoilage, no money to buy another, government support are minimal.

Juana

To her side of the trench caught him Frelimo. With 14 years ago someone came into his home and offered him to study medicine. "My dream was to be a doctor so I convinced my parents to let me. I volunteered ". What she was not expecting a school, was a barracks. "I suddenly saw a military life. We got up at four o'clock to exercise. It was not spoken and the third day hui. Me I went to the house to hide mi Abuela. Soon it was full of soldiers looking for me. I caught and the punishment was to take tickets to Maputo, far from home, so he could not escape again ".

The punishment was to take the plane to Maputo, far from home, so he could not escape again

At first I cried all the time, felt a great pain in my heart but we were afraid, not speak ". And between you? "Nor. There was solidarity among us, had panic ". Juana was lucky, found among the troops a good husband, father of her children with whom he began a formal. "We asked for license casarnos we fue granted by Guebuza (current president of Mozambique)”. But, at its base was punishable to have pregnancies. "If you got pregnant she was punished to dig trenches at night and he was transferred to another base". Frelimo was a regular army with a certain discipline that punished sexual abuse.

She ended up being an instructor of other women. "I did not like because you had to scream a lot and I do not like that.". He lived with her husband and children for years, avoiding death, stuck in a war that did not matter and that no one asked to enter it. His work was the same as that of housewives. "We cleaned, went for firewood, we cooked ... ". What comes to mind when remembering that? "I'm proud. I am a strong woman, I overcame fears, shyness. African women do not leave home or have the courage ", answer.

Today all, old enemy, cooperate to grant them their place in history. They stole the future of girls and now they want to give them the past as women. "We want our rights we, to tell our story and do not forget ". They are in a limbo. No one helps. NGOs branded by the military and the military's branded women. It has been 20 years and now met and the courage to tell the muted horror.
(END)

Below I put two props I sent the paper to contextualize the conflict

The use of children in war

In Mozambique it is estimated that there 100.000 children who participated in the civil war. Unicef ​​figure 300.000 children who are now fighting in armed conflicts around the world, of which 40% it is estimated that NIÑAS. The UN describes as child soldier to anyone under 18 years involved in the conflict, sea ​​carrying weapons, as a cook, Limpiadora the sexual esclava. In Mozambique, many "women" who fought in the war were licensed just before the armistice was signed and sent home.. Not receive, therefore, any pension which is not included veteran soldiers. Many recused apply after fearing it was a trap to return to the Army. The UN itself recognized that girls often fall outside the mandatory reintegration programs for ex-combatants country. Struggle, raped and surviving are sent home.

A miraculous transition into question

Civil conflict lasted from 1977 a 1992. There were about a million dead and five million displaced. After the first democratic elections 1994 became a strong reconciliation work involving political entities and many international NGOs. There were teams that village to village educating for former combatants from both sides perdonasen. For almost 20 years the country has healed from their deep wounds and has achieved significant economic growth, however, fails to reduce the poverty rate. Last week, for the first time in two decades, armed clashes between Renamo and Frelimo members that ended with the death of military and civilian. Society makes appeals for peace, as the two major parties hold their threats.

PD. These interviews could be conducted with the help of a researcher who is conducting the first doctoral thesis on this conflict. His work and knowledge is immense. Nor can you give your name, but she had not had the opportunity to tell this brutal history. Thanks!

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Comments (16)

  • Ann

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    Thank you also for telling….

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  • Olga Moya

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    Testimonials essential to understand the horror of war from the bowels, to empathize with the victims, to upset us breakfast and we spent more than two minutes to reflect on the horror of violence. How necessary are the stories like this, accustomed as we are to narrate us terror in numbers, not personal stories. Great Javier! PD. It is a story without photo, photograph of the three shadows reminds me more than any portrait.

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  • Rosa

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    Awesome article. Nothing better as you tell your story protagonists. Shudders read, I guess you, that you heard directly from them, I would impact more.

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  • Juan Antonio Portillo

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    I do not understand, or ever will understand the existence of atrocities as narrating your writing, Xavier.

    At least I'm glad you've been able to publish in the newspaper so you know.

    A hug

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  • javier Brandoli

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    The hard part of this story is that it's happening again today and tomorrow too. Sometimes I think we should a tod @ s remember that this exists. Back, my thanks to the three wonderful characters of this story, by the way, are invited to eat my home cooking yo (I do not know if it is good or bad for them notica).

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  • Juan Antonio Portillo

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    I will if you prepare the risotto and the three bands……!!!!

    and I'd love to share myself with you @ s…

    Hugs

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  • Juancho

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    I remember a conversation, long ago, in the stall of a port, no si is the Málaga… I do not remember. But we talked about how wretched is the man many times, and deeply unjust the world. You, Brandoli, always optimistic, you defended it is clear that we are far better than centuries, the world moves, albeit at a slow pace, to social justice… Since then many things have / have lived. When we go to see you this summer we will have to sit in a port, and chat…

    As. Congratulations on your fight

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  • Lydia

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    They are heartbreaking stories, creepy. These women had to mature at once, through suffering, vexations, etc..
    It was necessary that these stories were published were also in other media for wider dissemination.

    Congratulations on your work.

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  • Bertha.

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    Horrifying, horrifying, horrifying. And all this has gone unpunished. The only positive is that there is someone who is dedicated to tell.
    What would we do without internet?

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  • Laura

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    Terrible! and as you say, that keeps happening is even more…
    Thanks for telling the world, to see if we're waking once!

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  • Javier Brandoli

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    The positive and amazing is to know them and see how they cope with life. Women are formidable!!!

    Answer

  • Laura

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    No doubt they are

    Answer

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