How did Ishmael escape Sierra Leone?

Ishmael Beah's escape from Sierra Leone was a perilous and harrowing journey. Amidst a brutal civil war, Ishmael had to navigate a landscape marked by chaos and destruction as rebels invaded the capital city, creating severe unrest. They used rocket-propelled grenades to rob bank vaults and blow open buildings. They also freed and armed prisoners, who then committed widespread atrocities, including executing entire families 1.

To escape this nightmarish scenario, Ishmael undertook a dangerous and illegal journey. This included crawling through gutters next to dead bodies and rats to avoid rebel checkpoints. He managed to find and board a blacked-out bus, with even the rims of the tires painted black to avoid detection. The bus traveled through nearly impassable jungle back roads towards the border. At the border, instead of finding refuge, they encountered officials who extorted money from those attempting to flee the war-torn country 1.