Kabila demobilises 208 child soldiers

President Joseph Kabila demobilised 208 government child soldiers on Tuesday in a moving ceremony at the armed forces training centre at Kibomango, some 50 km from the capital, Kinshasa, the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, reported.

"This is the effective start of the demobilisation of all child soldiers," Kabila said at the ceremony, which was attended by government officials, diplomats, humanitarian aid agencies and reporters. The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has taken the step in conformity with UN Security Council resolutions on the recruitment of child soldiers, and after UNICEF pleaded with the government for action. The BBC has reported that there are 6,000 child soldiers in the country.

The children were handed over to the National Bureau for Demobilisation and Reintegration, or BUNADER, which will be responsible for their psychological and social welfare. The bureau will evaluate the needs of each child, provide them with emergency medical treatment, ensure that they receive their army discharge papers, ensure the necessary conditions for the families to receive their children, and maintain contact with the children so they will not be recruited until they have met the age requirement.

They were taken to the Kimwenza Transit and Orientation Centre that the Ministry of Social Affairs has given to BUNADER. During their three-month stay at this facility, the children will be identified and efforts will made to search for their parents, with the eventual aim of reuniting the families. BUNADER, a grouping of five international humanitarian aid agencies, has asked UNICEF to help it look after the children.