UN journalist arrested by MLC for child soldier report

A journalist with the UN peace-building radio network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been arrested in the northwestern city of Gbadolite by the Mouvement de liberation du Congo (MLC) of Jean-Pierre Bemba. Franklin Moliba-Sese, who works for the UN's "Radio Okapi", has been held by the MLC since Friday, the UN radio said. They were angered by a report of Moliba's on the wretched living conditions of thousands of child soldiers serving in the MLC army. "The children living in [MLC] military camps are going through hell," Moliba said in his report. According to witnesses in Gbadolite, Moliba was fist taken to the MLC office of internal security, then transferred to the local court prison where he is being held pending interrogation. The UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known as MONUC, has demanded Moliba's release. Amos Namanga Ngongi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative to the DRC, said Moliba's detention was "not acceptable". "We have sent two letters of protest to the northern part of Congo, held by the MLC," he told journalists in Kinshasa. "We also sent two emissaries to MLC leader Jean-Pierre Bemba. All our staffers have immunity."