XII. METHODOLOGY This report is based on a ten-week visit by Human Rights Watch researchers to Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire in February, March and April 2003, and on prior and subsequent research. Research was carried out in Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso, Banfora, Yendere, Nyangoloko, Sikasso, Zegua, Conakry, Nzerekore, Thuo and the Guinean refugee camps, Freetown, Abidjan, Yamoussoukro, Bouaké, Daloa, Duékoué, and Guiglo. Additional research was conducted in person and through telephone interviews in Europe and North America. Over one hundred and fifty individuals were interviewed, many of them victims of and witnesses to the abuses described in this report. Human Rights Watch met representatives of the Ivorian and Burkinabé governments and with representatives of the MPCI rebel forces. Members of civil society and religious groups, local and international media, diplomatic missions, and humanitarian agencies were interviewed in several countries. The vast majority of the interviews were conducted directly with interviewees in French or English without a translator. In a handful of cases, a translator was used to translate from a local language into French. XIII. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was written by Leslie Lefkow, researcher in the Africa division of Human Rights Watch, based on research conducted in West Africa by Leslie Lefkow, Jemera Rone and Pascal Kambale. It was edited by Corinne Dufka, researcher in the Africa division, and Peter Takirambudde, executive director of the Africa division. It was also reviewed by Wilder Taylor, legal and policy director, Iain Levine, program director, and Ari Zolberg, member of the Africa division’s Advisory Committee. Production and coordination assistance was provided by Jeff Scott and Kate Fletcher, associates in the Africa Division. Anne Fonteneau translated the report into French. Human Rights Watch would like to thank all those who spoke to us about the situation in Côte d’Ivoire, particularly the Ivorian, Liberian and Burkinabé victims of abuses and the many individuals and organizations working to assist victims in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Liberia. In particular, Human Rights Watch would like to extend its appreciation to Mr. Mamadou Pare of TOCSIN. Human Rights Watch acknowledges with thanks funding from Stichting Doen and the Laura Ashley Foundation for this report. Human Rights Watch 54 August 2003, Vol. 15, No. 14 (A)