Mu myaka ya 1980, ibibazo by’imibereho, ibyo mu rwego rwa politiki n’ubukungu byatumye havuka amacakubiri mu bihugu byo muri Afurika y’Iburengerazuba. Igihe intambara yayogozaga Liberiya, abantu benshi bahungiye muri Siyera Lewone. Ibiro by’ishami byateganyije amazu n’Amazu y’Ubwami yo gucumbikiramo impunzi z’Abahamya, kandi abavandimwe babitayeho.

Nubwo impunzi zari mu bihe bitoroshye, hari igihe habaga ibintu bishekeje. Umumisiyonari umaze igihe kirekire witwa Isolde Lorenz agira ati “umunsi umwe umubyeyi yatumye umwana we gushyushya ibiryo inyuma y’Inzu y’Ubwami yari mu kibanza cy’ibiro by’ishami, aho bari barateye amashyiga mu busitani. Uwo mwana yaragarutse abwira se ko uwo munsi batari burye. Se yamubajije impamvu, maze uwo mwana aramusubiza ati ‘ni ukubera ko uyu munsi Yehova yankijije akanwa k’intare!’ Byari byagenze bite? Igihe uwo mwana yari agarutse afite ibiryo mu ntoki, yahuye n’ikibwa kinini cya Beteli, ariko kitagira amahane, cyitwaga Lobo. Uwo mwana yahiye ubwoba. Yafashe isahane iriho ibiryo, arambura amaboko cyane ashaka kwirukana iyo mbwa. Birumvikana nyine ko Lobo yagize ngo arimo arayihereza ngo irye. Kandi koko Lobo yahise ibirya!”

Ku itariki ya 23 Werurwe 1991, intambara yari muri Liberiya yambutse umupaka igera muri Siyera Lewone, imara imyaka 11 yose. Inyeshyamba ziyitaga Umutwe Wishyize Hamwe Uharanira Revolisiyo (RUF) zahise zigera i Kailahun n’i Koindu, bituma abaturage baho hafi ya bose bahungira muri Gineya. Muri izo mpunzi harimo abavandimwe na  bashiki bacu bagera ku 120. Hagati aho, izindi mpunzi z’Abahamya zo muri Liberiya zageze muri Siyera Lewone ari nyinshi mbere y’uko izo nyeshyamba zihagera.

Billie Cowan, icyo gihe wari umuhuzabikorwa wa komite y’ibiro by’ishami, agira ati “hashize amezi menshi kuri Beteli y’i Freetown hagera impunzi z’abavandimwe bananiwe, bananutse cyane kandi bashonje. Benshi bari barabonye ibikorwa by’agahomamunwa kandi baryaga ibyatsi kugira ngo baticwa n’inzara. Twahitaga tubaha ibyokurya n’imyambaro, tukita no kuri bene wabo n’abandi bashimishijwe babaga bari kumwe na bo. Abavandimwe na bashiki bacu b’i Freetown buguruye imitima yabo n’amazu yabo bakira izo mpunzi. Izo mpunzi z’Abahamya zahise zitangira gufasha amatorero y’ino aha kubwiriza. Nyuma y’igihe, benshi muri bo baratahutse, ariko igihe bari bakiri ino baduteye inkunga cyane!”

Ibiro by’ishami byoherereje Abahamya bari mu nkambi z’impunzi mu majyepfo ya Gineya ibyokurya, imiti, ibikoresho by’ubwubatsi, ibikoresho byo mu rugo n’ibindi bikoresho. Ibyo byari bikubiyemo impano y’imyenda yaturutse mu Bufaransa. Umubyeyi umwe yaranditse ati “abana banjye barabyinnye, bararirimba kandi basingiza Yehova. Bari babonye imyenda mishya yo kwambara bagiye mu materaniro!” Bamwe mu bavandimwe na bashiki bacu bavuze ko batari barigeze bambara neza bene ako kageni!

Icyakora impunzi ntizari zikeneye imfashanyo gusa. Yesu yaravuze ati “umuntu ntatungwa n’ibyokurya gusa, ahubwo atungwa n’ijambo ryose riva mu kanwa ka Yehova” (Mat 4:​4). Bityo, ibiro by’ishami byaboherereje ibitabo by’imfashanyigisho za Bibiliya, kandi buri gihe bigategura amakoraniro.  Nanone bohereje muri ako karere abapayiniya n’abagenzuzi basura amatorero.

Igihe umugenzuzi w’akarere witwa André Baart yajyaga i Koundou muri Gineya, yahuye n’umuyobozi w’inkambi wamusabye ko yatanga disikuru ishingiye kuri Bibiliya muri iyo nkambi. Abantu bagera kuri 50 bateze amatwi disikuru ya André yari ishingiye kuri Zaburi ya 18, yari ifite umutwe uvuga ngo “Hungira kuri Yehova.” Arangije gutanga iyo disikuru, hari umukecuru wahagurutse afata ijambo. Yaravuze ati “wadushimishije rwose. Umuceri ntushobora kudukemurira ibibazo, ariko Bibiliya yo itwereka uko twakwiringira Imana. Tugushimiye tubikuye ku mutima kuba watuzaniye ihumure n’ibyiringiro.”

Igihe William na Claudia Slaughter boherezwaga gukorera umurimo w’ubumisiyonari i Guékédou ho muri Gineya, basanze itorero ry’impunzi zisaga 100 rifite ishyaka ryinshi ritewe n’umwuka (Rom 12:​11). William agira ati “abakiri bato benshi bagiraga amajyambere yo mu buryo bw’umwuka. Iyo habaga hari umuntu utashoboye gutanga ikiganiro cye mu Ishuri ry’Umurimo wa Gitewokarasi, wasangaga hari abavandimwe bakiri bato bari hagati ya 10 na 15 bifuza kumusimbura. Bajyaga kubwiriza ari benshi kandi bafite ishyaka. Bamwe muri abo basore barangwaga n’ishyaka, nyuma yaho babaye abapayiniya ba bwite n’abagenzuzi basura amatorero.”

Mbere gato y’uko intambara itangira, abavandimwe b’i Freetown baguze ikibanza cyari hafi y’ibiro by’ishami cya hegitari esheshatu, cyari gifite nomero 133 Wilkinson Road. Alfred Gunn agira ati “twifuzaga kubaka Beteli nshya muri icyo kibanza, ariko twari duhangayikishijwe n’intambara.  Kubera ko icyo gihe Lloyd Barry wo mu Nteko Nyobozi yadusuye, twamugejejeho impungenge twari dufite. Yaradushubije ati ‘turamutse twemeye ko intambara zitubuza kugira ibyo dukora, nta kintu na kimwe twazigera dukora!’ Amagambo yatubwiye yaduteye inkunga yo gukomeza uwo mushinga.”

Abavandimwe babarirwa mu magana bakoze kuri uwo ­mushinga, hakubiyemo n’abasaga 50 bitangiye imirimo baturutse mu bihugu 12, n’abandi benshi bazaga kubafasha baturutse mu matorero yaho. Imirimo yatangiye muri Gicurasi 1991. Tom Ball wagenzuraga uwo mushinga agira ati “abantu batangazwaga n’amatafari akomeye twabumbiraga aho. Ibyuma twakoreshaga byari bitandukanye n’ibyakoreshwaga mu yandi mazu yaho. Ariko icyatangazaga abantu cyane, ni ukubona abazungu b’abanyamahanga bakorana n’abirabura baho mu bumwe kandi bishimye.”

Ku itariki ya 19 Mata 1997, abantu bari baturutse mu bihugu bitandukanye bateraniye hamwe mu gihe cyo kwegurira Yehova ibiro by’ishami bishya. Hashize ukwezi nyuma yaho, nyuma y’imyaka itanu imirwano ikaze ibera iyo mu giturage, inyeshyamba za RUF zagabye igitero i Freetown.

Abarwanyi ba RUF babarirwa mu bihumbi bafite imisatsi y’injwiri n’udutambaro dutukura mu mutwe, biroshye mu mugi barasahura, bafata abagore ku ngufi kandi barica. Alfred Gunn yibuka uko byari byifashe agira ati “ibintu byari byazambye. Abamisiyonari b’abanyamahanga hafi ya bose bahise bahungishwa. Aba nyuma bahungishijwe ni Billie na Sandra Cowan, Jimmie na Joyce Holland na Catherine nanjye.

“Twasengeye hamwe n’abagize umuryango wa Beteli bo mu gihugu bari biyemeje gusigara, hanyuma duhita twihutira kujya aho abari kuduhungisha bari kudusanga. Mu nzira twahagaritswe n’inyeshyamba zigera kuri 20 zarebaga nk’ibikoko kandi zasinze. Twabahaye amagazeti n’amafaranga baratureka turagenda. Twahuye n’abandi bantu basaga 1.000 bagombaga  guhungishwa, twerekeza kuri bariyeri yari irinzwe n’ingabo za Amerika zirwanira mu mazi zifite intwaro zikomeye. Twurijwe kajugujugu ya gisirikare itujyana ku bwato bw’intambara bwa Amerika. Nyuma yaho, umukozi wo muri ubwo bwato yatubwiye ko bwari ubwa mbere ingabo za Amerika zirwanira mu mazi zihungishije abasivili benshi kuva intambara ya Viyetinamu yarangira. Bukeye bwaho, kajugujugu yatujyanye i Conakry muri Gineya. Tugezeyo twashyizeho ibiro by’ishami by’agateganyo.”

Abamisiyonari bari bahangayikishijwe no kumenya amakuru y’i Freetown. Amaherezo hari umuntu wabandikiye agira ati “nubwo ibintu bikomeje kumera nabi, turacyatanga Inkuru z’Ubwami No. 35, zivuga ngo Mbese, Hari Igihe Abantu Bose Bazaba Bakundana? Abantu bitabira neza ibyo tubabwira kandi na bamwe mu nyeshyamba bigana natwe Bibiliya. Ni yo mpamvu twiyemeje kongera igihe twamaraga mu murimo wo kubwiriza.”

Jonathan Mbomah wari umugenzuzi w’akarere, yibuka uko byari byifashe agira ati “twagize ikoraniro ryihariye ry’umunsi umwe i Freetown. Disikuru zo muri iryo koraniro zaduteye inkunga mu buryo bw’umwuka cyane ku buryo nagiye i Bo n’i Kenema nkayobora porogaramu y’iryo koraniro muri utwo turere. Abavandimwe bo muri iyo migi yari yarayogojwe n’intambara bashimiye Yehova ku bw’ayo mafunguro yo mu buryo bw’umwuka ahebuje.

“Mu mpera z’umwaka wa 1997, twagize ikoraniro ry’intara muri sitade y’i Freetown. Ku munsi wa nyuma w’ikoraniro inyeshyamba zaje muri sitade zidutegeka kuhava. Twarabinginze ngo bareke turangize ikoraniro. Nyuma y’ibiganiro birebire, baracururutse baragenda. Abantu basaga 1.000 baje muri iryo koraniro kandi abagera kuri 27 barabatijwe. Abavandimwe benshi bakoze urugendo ruteje akaga bajya i Bo kugira ngo bongere kumva za disikuru. Ayo makoraniro yari ashimishije rwose!”