DRC: Gov't, UNICEF introduce child demobilisation certificates

Photo: UNICEF

DRC child soldier demobilisation certificate

NAIROBI, 30 December 2003 (IRIN) - The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with the help of the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, has introduced official demobilisation certificates for child soldiers, UNICEF said on Friday. A communique from UNICEF said certificates were given to the local authorities in Kindu, Maniema Province, on 23 December, at a meeting attended by representatives of the Technical Committee for Planning and Coordination - Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration, (which comprises government officials and UN agencies), and the governor of Maniema, Faray Selenge. UNICEF said Selenge promised to present the certificates to children who were to be reunified with their families before the end of the year. The event marked the "first step" towards the official adoption of demobilisation certificates, which would "guarantee children security against re-enrolment" once they had left armed groups, UNICEF said. The certificate states that the bearer has the right to be protected according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and to Article 184 of the constitution of the transitional government, which says that no one under the age of 18 can be recruited by the armed forces. UNICEF said the demobilisation certificates were part of an interim programme to help demobilised child soldiers pending a national programme which would include adults and children. The communique said that with the certificate, some 40 children recently demobilised from armed groups in the Kindu region and currently living in a camp run by the NGO CARE, should be reunited with their families in the coming days. The International Committee of the Red Cross, together with the Congolese Red Cross and local child protection groups, were working to try to return a further 139 children to their families, it said.