Rehabilitation of child soldiers critical, UNICEF

Healing the psychological wounds of former child soldiers and children separated from their families by war was important for Angola's long-term recovery as a nation. And reunification with the family was an important part of this process, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has said. On Friday last week the Angolan government, UNICEF and civil society partners re-affirmed their policy framework for assisting former child soldiers and separated children at a round table on the Challenges of Child Rights Protection in the Process of Reintegration, which was organised by the Ministry of Assistance and Social Reinsertion (MINARS). A UNICEF statement said the fund endorsed MINARS strategy which included a package of measures aimed at protecting the right of child victims of the conflict to physical and psycho-social recovery, as well as their social reintegration. Since the cessation of hostilities in April last year, UNICEF and the Angolan government had been working to support some of the 100,000 children separated from their families during Angola's 27-year war. "This has been occurring via a national birth registration campaign and the creation of 'child friendly spaces' - specially designated areas of education and psychological assistance for children. [Friday's] reaffirmation of the policy promises to increase returns to school and learning opportunities, accelerate access to skills training and mentoring, and boost psycho-social support, family tracing and reunification, and rights to citizenship," UNICEF added. "We believe the greatest benefit former child soldiers can receive is to be reunited with their family, reintegrated into their community ... and educated," UNICEF Angola Representative Mario Ferrari was quoted as saying. "With birth certificates issued to 1.9 million children and family tracing and reunification continuing, this agreement means all partners' efforts toward registration and education can now be intensified. The policy is very good, but now we must put it into full effect." Getting all Angolan children to go to school was "perhaps the most fundamental component of lasting rehabilitation in Angola", UNICEF added. IRIN reported in February that the fund was backing the biggest education campaign in Angola's history, re-introducing 250,000 children back into the school system, and improving schooling conditions for half a million. The full report