Eleven

The force of the blast were deep and noisy, that it left a deep crater on ground and the mosque which in itself could have been the target was badly damaged. It could have been razed down if not for its standard and strong foundation. General Sango was the target but he was not there.

The regional offensive was continued, and on the eighteenth of the sixth month Brasao fell, leaving Kandala with only a single airstrip. In other regions and nearby territories, children and women in the streets and broadways were slain in their pools of blood by stray bullets which had continued without end. All around ambulance raced by sirens wailing and it was only the beginning of what happened afterward.

Africa, a land where blood had been spilled for just no reason; where the innocent die and justice delayed. This is true.

Political tension was so high in this sun scorched earth, with many in pain, outcry and anguish. It was the tale end of the year. The bitterness and grievances had congealed into a protracted hatred from each of the affected region. The heat at this Sahara was so overpowering and anything war if allowed to continue would roast the entire country in less than one day. But it was true.

         The bands had lurked in the bridges and forests, isolated government offices, looting cars, killing and raping young girls, women and blocked the road in search of new recruits for the war. It was a real combat with the other bands taken unaware. The death toll was on increase, with food running low and arson becoming common. It was all a bad sight as no hope was in view. Heavenwards was the helicopter gunship by the army roving about like molested bees. No one knew or could believe that these could happen in a relatively short time.

         Within days the office and house of General Sango had been bombed. The two generals had gone on different footing, and were locked in a titanic struggled for the control of the country. It was a fact everyone knew too well. Other hotels which they suspected he would be hiding were bombed too, leaving tenants and occupiers in near death condition. He had taken off as soon as the situation could not be arrested to France, leaving his next in rank General Damisa to replace him.

         To a large regiment of innocent citizens, home had been a dangerous place for them. Many young men went underground to avoid capture. The cities had been littered with badly malnourished children and sick adults. These children had been laddened by emotion of seeing men killed for the first time in their life. Killings were not common. Peace settlement was nowhere in sight. Death, recruiting and capture strewed many family members apart while many others were executed for cowardice; mostly because they do not want their hands stained by blood of innocent citizens. These young men of only flesh and blood with full life did not know the rule.  They were still too young to understand it all. They were novice in its all, yet they were the best crop of people needed at that time to eliminate the opponent without remorse.

So they went into the battlefield out of their will. While they were sent on battlefield, they were killed at their first attempt. Then they kept going like ants in organized group, never giving up, never thinking, never minding that it was just their only chance of life that they were loosing and never to be remembered for these, only that they were told to fight for their lives and that of their loved ones who never wanted them to go. They kept dying and dying in great numbers. They were killed and fired at every body parts with reckless abandon by these soldiers who held upper hands. They all fell in a short time and were replaced by others and then in moments, these also died. Then their bodies in the sun scattered and rot away.

 Many families who thought they would continue and make it at last lost it all. They had parted ways, with the possibility of never uniting again, some escaping to the Barracks while others to the thick bush and bush paths. Some had lost their way and ran to the angry mobs of these soldiers who acted without mercy and the others had died of hunger in their hidings.