NGOs denounce military movements, recruitment of child soldiers in South Kivu

Two Congolese NGOs have denounced recent troop movements and recruitment of child soldiers in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) despite the recent inauguration of a unified national army comprising forces of former combatants in the country. "For one week, Congolese soldiers based in the isolated region of Idjwi [a Lake Kivu island north of Bukavu] have been leaving the island en masse," Heritiers de la Justice said during a news conference on Tuesday in the capital, Kinshasa. "They pass through Bukavu before being dispatched to places such as Kamanyola, in the Ruzizi plain; Kaziba, in Walengu territory; Katana and Kavumu [areas near Bukavu]." For its part, the NGO Voix des sans Voix (VSV - Voice of the Voiceless) reported "significant population movements [particularly] in Masivi, Walikale, Nyirango and Busumba", to the west of Goma in eastern DRC. VSV also said that guns were being distributed to civilians in North Kivu Province of eastern DRC. Citing military sources who wished to remain anonymous, Heritiers de la Justice said that meetings were being held among military leaders with the objective of reinforcing their manpower and weaponry. According to Heritiers de la Justice, the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma) former rebel movement - now party to the DRC's two-year national transitional government - was trying to find child soldiers who had deserted its ranks for the purpose of preparing a rebellion in the east. "Col Georges Mirindi, interim commander of the Bukavu military region, recently ordered his men to actively seek out all "Kadogos" [child soldiers] who deserted the ranks of the RCD," the NGO reported. Asked about these accusations, RCD-Goma denied any recruitment of child soldiers. "These allegations are completely false. We do not recruit children," Jean-Pierre Lola Kisanga, RCD-Goma spokesman, told IRIN in Kinshasa. "We are recruiting combatants to resolve security problems in the east while waiting for our forces to be combined." He added that all new recruits would be made known and available to the national military chief of staff, Lt-Gen Liwanga Mata Nyamunyobo. Heritiers de la Justice also said it was worried by "the pursuit and treatment of former child combatants by the RCD as well as by the Mayi-Mayi". It called on all belligerents to put war behind them and stay on the path to peace.