War was classroom for Sierra Leone child soldiers | International | Reuters

War was classroom for Sierra Leone child soldiers | International | Reuters: "FREETOWN (Reuters) - Abu is not sure exactly how old he was the first time he killed.

He thinks he was 13, but was high on a cocktail of drugs and alcohol at the time and -- like many Sierra Leoneans -- does not know his exact date of birth.

Kidnapped with around 30 young boys in early 1991 from his home in the village of Kuiva, eastern Sierra Leone, Abu was one of hundreds of children forced to fight with rebels backed by Liberian warlord Charles Taylor.

Taylor, who went on to become president of Liberia, stands trial in The Hague on Monday, facing 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for helping to launch and foment Sierra Leone's 1991-2002 civil war." Read complete post here.