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The Monitor (Kampala) January 19, 2004
Posted to the web January 19, 2004
Mwanguhya Charles Mpagi
Kampala
A new international report has named 2003 as the worst year for children in Uganda and many African countries.
The report, released on January 16 by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, details evidence of governments and armed groups recruiting and using child soldiers in numerous conflicts worldwide. The coalition calls on the UN Security Council to insist upon -- and enforce -- an end to child recruitment.
"Abductions of children in northern Uganda by the Lord's Resistance Army are at the highest point of the conflict's 17-year history," the report said.
"Thousands of children in northern Uganda continue to flee their homes at night to avoid being abducted into brutal combat and servitude," it adds. The 50-page report titled Child Soldier Use 2003, identifies 18 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East where child soldier issues remain part of the gross abuse of human rights in an armed conflict or its aftermath.
Uganda's western neighbor, the DR Congo, is listed as one of the countries where children are subjected to heinous experiences."Horrifying reports emerged from the DRC of children being raped and tortured, as well as forced to commit atrocities against civilians," the report states.
Throughout 2003, the report says, children continued to be used as soldiers, sexual slaves, labourers, porters and spies in both newly erupting and long-standing conflicts. The United Nations Security Council is set to discuss the report at its 4th Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict tomorrow.
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"Thousands of children in northern Uganda continue to flee their homes at night to avoid being abducted into brutal combat and servitude,"
Ironically, it is this abducted Acholi kids which Museveni's UPDF Army has been killing for now 17 years going to 18. Each time the UPDF kills this kids, it is announced with gee and a sense of pride by the likes of Bantarazi that the UPDF has killed so many "rebels"
"The coalition calls on the UN Security Council to insist upon -- and enforce -- an end to child recruitment."
How exactly, is the UN Security council going to "enforce" an end to child recruitment when it comes to dealing with illusive rebel forces, is beyond me.
For 18 years Yoweri Museveni Kaguta has been recruiting children into his army, the UPDF, The UN security Council did absolutely nothing to reprimand Museveni and his NRM on this violation of Human Rights. ..thus setting the precedent ... the notion that somehow the recruitment of Children into the army/rebel ranks was and is All right.
Rebel groups in the region ( DRC Congo, Northern Uganda, ) soon followed the example set by Museveni and his NRM.
Matek
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"The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth becomes the greatest enemy of the state."
- Dr. Joseph M. Goebbels - Hitler's propaganda minister
