Elena-+Mattru+Jong

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 4.Mattru, of the Jong Chiefdom is in the Bonthe District of Sierra Leon. The name is a Europeanized version of Mo-Tewoo. It is located along the banks of the Jong river, for which it is named. According to Sierra Leone Web, "as legend goes, a hunter from Senehun crossed the river into this grassland in search of a game to kill for his family. The news of this [buffalo] kill spread in Senehun like wild fire" (Village Names). Similarly enough, Mo-Tewoo means 'place of the buffalos' as was described by the early hunters. Revolutionary United Front rebels fought in Sierra Leone in the Civil war from 1991 to 2002 (Sierra Leone). Mattru Jong was captured in 1995, with the RUF setting up its own government here. The RUF is known to have taken children as soldiers and made them kill their own parents. Their wounds would be covered with cocaine as to make them fearless. The abducted girls would be used as prostitutes (Sierra Leone). Many of the actions of the RUF are documented in the novel A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. Mattru Jong is also mentioned. The fishing town received support after the war with the rebuilding of the Mattru Hospital in 2001 (About Us). It was built and reopened by 'Doctors Without Borders' after being destroyed during the civil war. =====