Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

FROM THE FIELD

Mass child soldier release in Democratic Republic of Congo
16 Feb 2009 12:32:24 GMT
 Source: International Save the Children Alliance
SaveChAlli logo

Background

•  Children

•  Congo (DR) conflict

MORE >>
Large numbers of child soldiers have been released and are now being looked after by Save the Children as thousands of fighters from armed groups integrate into the Congolese army.

In the past week, Save the Children has helped secure the release of 109 child soldiers from armed groups in eastern DR Congo. More children are expected to be set free in the coming days.

The aid agency is now supporting the boys and girls within foster families as aid workers start the search for the children’s parents so families can be reunited. Save the Children has also reunited 237 other ex-child soldiers with their families over the past two weeks.

However as this release takes place, the numbers of children abducted to fight has rocketed further north in the country, with over 500 children kidnapped since October last year by Ugandan terror group, the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Gilbert Hascoet, Save the Children’s country director in Democratic Republic of Congo, said: “High numbers of children have been found within the militia groups integrating into the Congolese army. It’s a huge relief for the boys and girls who have been released, many of whom have been forced to endure horrific conditions and abuse at the hands of militia fighters.

“But these children are just a tiny part of the picture. There are more than a thousand children still trapped by armed groups in DR Congo, and the ongoing clashes and security restrictions make it harder for aid organisations to work towards their release.”

“The situation is particularly grave in the north-east of the country, where fighters from the Lord’s Resistance Army are indiscriminately kidnapping children to use as sex slaves and to commit atrocities, sometimes against their own families and friends. Tens of thousands of other children across the region, as well as their families, are now living in fear that they too will be taken.”

Save the Children is supporting 480,000 people in DR Congo, helping to release and rehabilitate child soldiers, delivering health care and helping children get back to school. The aid agency is warning that without a much stronger diplomatic response to the conflict, and without tackling illicit support for armed groups and the widespread impunity for abuses, the recruitment of children to fight will not stop.

Mr Hascoet continued: “While we can celebrate the release of these children, there is still huge international pressure needed to stop the recruitment of children by both Congolese and Ugandan armed groups operating in DR Congo. Militia leaders must be made to understand the recruitment of children is a war crime for which they can be prosecuted and that they must release any children trapped in their ranks.”

HTML fileFind out more about our response to the DRC Conflict
HTML fileVoices: David and Gerad, Former Child Soldiers from the DRC

 


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Email this article       Send comments

Topics

•  Children

MORE >>

Emergencies

•  Congo (DR) conflict

MORE >>

Members

•  International Save the Children Alliance

MORE >>

NGO latest

•  Mass child soldier release in Democratic Republic of Congo
Save the Children - International Alliance

•  Mass child soldier release in Democratic Republic of Congo
Save the Children UK

•  WER forms network to respond to Zimbabwe cholera crisis
WER - UK

•  Democratic Republic of the Congo: ICRC helps 60,000 farmers
ICRC - Switzerland

•  Democratic Republic of the Congo: ICRC helps 60,000 farmers
ICRC - Switzerland

MORE >>

Latest news

•  UN: Send More Troops to DR Congo

•  UN: Send More Troops to DR Congo

•  Lebanon: Removal of Religion from IDs Positive but not Sufficient

•  UPDATE 1 - Gunmen shot 12 in Mexico, including children

•  Gunmen kill 12 in Mexico, including six children

MORE >>

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Background information

Briefings
Congo (DR) conflict - [Who works where]

Topics
Children

Related articles

Breaking stories
 UN: Send More Troops to DR Congo (1 minute ago)

UN: Send More Troops to DR Congo (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 MEDIAWATCH: U.S. role in Uganda rebel operation under fire (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 Mass child soldier release in Democratic Republic of Congo (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Zimbabweans turn to hitchhiking, guerilla gardening and hopscotch (1 minute ago)

Maps
 Democratic Republic of the Congo: Humanitarian Snapshot (as of 29 Jan 2009) (1 minute ago)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-02-16T020227Z_01_MEL01_RTRIDSP_2_AUSTRALIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/MEL01.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-02-15T221600Z_01_MEX010D_RTRIDSP_2_MEXICO-DRUGS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/MEX010D.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-02-13T191157Z_01_AFR63_RTRIDSP_2_ZIMBABWE_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AFR63.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-02-13T190842Z_01_AFR64_RTRIDSP_2_ZIMBABWE_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AFR64.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-02-13T190131Z_01_AFR65_RTRIDSP_2_ZIMBABWE_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AFR65.htm

Security officers wait outside Melbourne Magistrates Court where a man charged with lighting a bushfire was due to appear February 16, 2009. 39-year-old Brendan Sokaluk who faces charges including arson causing ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Mon Feb 16 12:32:44 2009