Mumakore okuma1980, matambudziko okurarama kwevanhu, ezvematongerwo enyika uye ezveupfumi akakonzera kusawirirana munyika dzose dzokuWest Africa. Hondo payakasakadza Liberia, vakawanda vakatizira kuSierra Leone, nyika yayakavakidzana nayo. Bazi rakaronga kuti pave nemisha uye Dzimba dzoUmambo zvaizoshandiswa kuti Zvapupu zvainge zvapotera zviwane pokugara, uye hama dzakavapa zvavaida.

Kunyange zvazvo zvinhu zvainge zvakaomera vapoteri vacho, paimbovawo nezvimwe zvinhu zvinosetsa zvaiitika. Isolde Lorenz, uyo ava nenguva refu ari mumishinari anoti: “Mumwe mukomana wechiduku akatumwa nababa vake kuti aende kunodziyisa zvokudya panzvimbo yaiveserwa moto seri kweImba yoUmambo yaiva pabazi. Mukomana wacho paakadzoka, akaudza baba vake kuti paisazova nezvokudya musi iwoyo. Baba vacho vakabvunza kuti nei. Mukomana wacho akati, ‘Nokuti nhasi Jehovha andiponesa pamuromo weshumba!’ Chii chainge chaitika? Paaidzoka aine zvokudya, ainge asangana nezimbwa zihombe repabazi rerudzi rweGerman shepherd, asi rainge risingarumi haro rainzi Lobo. Mukomana wacho akaona sokuti pake painge pamuperera. Ainge anyatsotambanudza maoko ake kuti adzinge imbwa yacho uku akabata ndiro yaiva nezvokudya. Lobo akabva angofunga kuti aitopiwa zvokudya. Saka Lobo akabva atotanga kudya!”

Musi wa23 March 1991, hondo yairwiwa pachishandiswa zvombo muLiberia yakayambukira muSierra Leone, zvikaita kuti vagari vemo varwisane kwemakore 11. Boka revapanduki rainzi Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rakabva  rakurumidza kupinda muKailahun neKoindu, zvikaita kuti vanhu vakawanda vemo vatizire kuGuinea. Pavapoteri vacho paiva nehama nehanzvadzi dzinenge 120. Panguva iyi zvimwe Zvapupu zvaipotera zvichibva kuLiberia zvakadirana zvichipinda muSierra Leone zvichitangira vapanduki vacho.

Billie Cowan, uyo aiva mutariri weDare Rebazi panguva iyoyo anoti, “Kwemwedzi yakati kuti, mapoka ehama dzainge dzakaondoroka, dzairegwedeka, uye dzaiva nenzara akasvika paBheteri muFreetown. Vakawanda vainge vazvionera utsinye hwakaipisisa hwaiitwa uye vairarama nekudya miti yemusango. Takakurumidza kuvapa zvokudya nezvokupfeka uye kutarisira hama dzavo nevanhu vaifarira vavaiva navo. Hama nehanzvadzi dzekuno dzakabata vapoteri vacho zvakanaka dzikavagamuchira mumisha yadzo. Pasina nguva Zvapupu zvainge zvapotera zvakabatikana mubasa romumunda, zvichibatsira ungano dzemuno. Nokufamba kwenguva, vakawanda vavo vakazoenda; asi pavaiva muno, vaitisimbisa!”

Hofisi yebazi yakatumira zvokudya, mishonga, zvokuvakisa, maturusi uye midziyo inoshandiswa mukicheni kuZvapupu zvaiva mumisasa yevapoteri kumaodzanyemba kweGuinea. Izvi zvaisanganisira mbatya dzakawanda dzakatumirwa kubva kuFrance. Vamwe baba vakanyora kuti: “Vana vangu vaidzana, vaiimba, uye vairumbidza Jehovha. Vainge vava nembatya itsva dzokupfeka kumisangano!” Dzimwe hama nehanzvadzi dzakati dzainge dzisati dzambopfeka zvakanaka kudaro!

Zvisinei, vapoteri vacho vaida zvinopfuura kuyamurwa nezvinhu. Jesu akati: “Munhu haangararami nechingwa chete, asi nemashoko ose anobuda mumuromo maJehovha.” (Mat. 4:4) Saka hofisi yebazi yakatumira mabhuku  eBhaibheri kunharaunda yacho ndokuronga kuti magungano agare achiitwa. Mapiyona nevatariri vanofambira vakatumirwawo kunharaunda yacho.

Mutariri wedunhu anonzi André Baart paakashanya kuKoundou, kuGuinea, akaonana nemumwe mukuru mukuru wemumusasa wevapoteri uyo akamukumbira kuti ape hurukuro yeBhaibheri kuvapoteri vemumusasa wacho. Vanhu vanenge 50 vakanzwa André achikurukura musoro unoti, “Potera Muna Jehovha,” wakavakirwa pana Pisarema 18. Paakapedza, vamwe mbuya vakasimuka ndokutaura kuti: “Maita kuti tifare zvikuru. Mupunga haupedzi matambudziko edu, asi Bhaibheri rinotiratidza kuti tingava sei netariro muna Mwari. Tinokutendai nemwoyo wose nokutinyaradza uye kutipa tariro kwamaita.”

Mamishinari anonzi William naClaudia Slaughter paakaendeswa kuGuékédou, kuGuinea, ungano yevapoteri vanopfuura 100 yakapisa nomudzimu. (VaR. 12:11) William anoti, “Varume vechiduku vakawanda vairatidza kuti vaiva nechido chokushandiswa mune zvokunamata. Kana mumwe munhu aikundikana kupa hurukuro yake muChikoro chaMwari Choushumiri, hama dzechiduku 10 kusvika ku15 dzaizvipira kupa hurukuro yacho. Vanhu vakawanda vaibuda muushumiri vachishingaira pakuparidza. Vamwe vevarume vechiduku ivavo vaishingaira vakazova mapiyona chaiwo uye vatariri vanofambira.”

Nguva pfupi hondo ichangotanga munyika macho, hama dzomuFreetown dzakatenga nzvimbo yakakura eka imwe chete nehafu pa133 Wilkinson Road, yaiva mazana mashomanana emamita tichidzika nemugwagwa wacho kubva kuhofisi yebazi. “Taida kuvaka musha mutsva weBheteri panzvimbo yacho asi tainetseka nenyaya yehondo,” anodaro  Alfred Gunn. “Sezvo Lloyd Barry weDare Rinodzora ainge atishanyira panguva yacho, takamuudza nezvenyaya yacho. Akapindura kuti, ‘Kana tikarega hondo ichitidzorera kumashure, hatimbofi takaita chimwe chinhu!’ Mashoko ake anokurudzira akatipa ushingi hwokuenderera mberi.”

Mazana ehama akashanda zvakaoma pabasa racho, kusanganisira vazvipiri vanodarika 50 vakabva kunyika 12 dzakasiyana-siyana uye vanhu vakawanda vaiva nechido chokubatsira vemuungano dzemo. Basa racho rakatanga muna May 1991. “Vanhu vaiona vaiomeswa mate mukanwa nezvidhinha zvemhando yepamusoro zvaigadzirwa panzvimbo yacho. Chivako chacho chakanga chakasiyana zvikuru nezvivako zvemunzvimbo yacho,” anodaro Tom Ball, mutariri webasa rokuvaka. “Asi vanhu vainyanya kushamiswa nokuona varungu vekune dzimwe nyika nevatema vemo vachiita basa racho pamwe chete vachifara.”

Musi wa19 April 1997, vanhu vemarudzi akasiyana-siyana vakaungana vachifara kuti vatsaurire zvivako zvitsva zvebazi racho. Papera mwedzi mumwe chete, pashure pemakore mashanu okurwisana zvine utsinye kwaiitika mumaruwa, boka reRUF rakatanga kurwisa Freetown.

Zviuru zvevarwi veRUF zvaiva nebvudzi rakamonyana uye zvakasunga machira matsvuku mumusoro zvakapitipidzana zvichipinda muguta racho, zvichitora zvinhu nechisimba, kubata vanhu chibharo uye kuuraya. “Zvinhu zvainge zvaita manyama amire nerongo,” anodaro Alfred Gunn. “Mamishinari akawanda okune dzimwe nyika akakurumidza kubudiswa munyika yacho. Vokupedzisira kubuda vaiva Billie naSandra Cowan, Jimmie naJoyce Holland, uye ini naCatherine.

“Takanyengetera nevashandi vepaBheteri vemuno vainge vazvipira kusara, uye takabva takurumidza kuenda kwataizonotakurirwa. Tiri munzira takamiswa nemasoja anenge 20 evapanduki akadhakwa uye aityisa. Patakaapa magazini nemari, akatirega tichipfuura. Tiine vamwe vaibudiswawo vanodarika  1 000, takaungana panzvimbo yaimiswa motokari dzichiongororwa yaiva yakachengetedzwa nemauto ekuUnited States ainge akapakata zvombo. Takabva takwira herikoputa yemauto ndokumhanyiswa kumhenderekedzo kuti tinopinda mungarava yehondo yekuUnited States. Mumwe mukuru mukuru wemungarava akazotiudza kuti kubvira paHondo yeVietnam, boka redu ndiro rainge rakakura pamapoka ose evanhu vasiri mauto rainge ratakurwa neUto rekuUnited States. Mangwana acho, takabhururuka neherikoputa tichienda kuConakry, kuGuinea. Takaita kuti pave nenzvimbo yokumbofanoshandisa sehofisi yebazi ikoko.”

Mamishinari aida chaizvo kunzwa kuti zvinhu zvainge zvakamira sei muFreetown. Pakupedzisira, tsamba yakasvika yaiti: “Zvinhu hazvisati zvagadzikana asi tichiri kungogovera Mashoko Akanaka Nhamba 35, ‘Vanhu Vose Vachazombodanana Here?’ Vanhu vari kunyatsofarira, uye tiri kutodzidza nevamwe vevapanduki. Saka tatsunga kuwedzera basa redu rokuparidza.”

Jonathan Mbomah, uyo aishumira semutariri wedunhu, akati: “Takatoita gungano rezuva rimwe chete muFreetown. Purogiramu yacho yaikurudzira zvikuru zvokuti ndakaenda kuBo nekuKenema kunoiitisa munzvimbo idzodzo. Hama dzomumadhorobha iwayo akasakadzwa nehondo dzakaonga Jehovha pamusana pezvokudya zvakanaka zvikuru zvine chokuita nokunamata.

“Gore ra1997 rava kunopera, takava negungano reruwa kuNational Stadium muFreetown. Pazuva rokupedzisira regungano racho, masoja evapanduki akapinda munhandare ndokutiudza kuti tibudemo. Takavakumbira kuti tipedzise purogiramu yacho. Pashure pokunge takurukura navo kwenguva yakareba, vakabvuma ndokuenda. Vanhu vanodarika 1 000 vakapinda gungano racho, uye 27 vakabhabhatidzwa. Hama dzakati kuti dzakaisa upenyu hwadzo pangozi kuti dziende kuBo ndokunonzwazve purogiramu yacho. Chokwadi aiva magungano akazonaka, ainakidza zvikuru!”