Mai Mai militia frees 85 child soldiers in Congo
The children, aged between 7 and 17, were freed after months of talks with the Mai Mai militiamen, UNICEF spokeswoman Veronique Taveau said on Tuesday.
Some children were released in the province of North Kivu Thursday and the rest on Sunday. They included five girls.
Taveau stated that the children were starving and traumatized when they were handed over to UNICEF.
There are an estimated 2,000 child soldiers in North Kivu, Taveau said. She declined to say if the militiamen were paid for the release of the children.
The Geneva Convention, which governs the protection of human rights in warfare, prohibits the use of soldiers under the age of 15, while the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child draws the line at 18.
- Posted by Causecast
- |
- Go to original article
Related Articles
-
Modern Day Abolitionists: Emancipators For Our Future
Find out how a handful of brave twenty-first century abolitionists are working to end modern form...
- 07.08.09
- |
- 02:34pm
-
Falling Whistles Bike Tour
Three of Sean Carasso's close friends are taking a bike tour across America to spread awareness a...
- 06.30.09
- |
- 10:27am
-
Dare to Dream by Sean Carasso
Causecast leader Sean Carasso discusses the world of social causes, Starbucks, the global recessi...
- 04.24.09
- |
- 11:19am
-
Rwanda troops withdraw from Congo
Thousands of Rwandan troops have started to leave Democratic Republic of Congo five weeks after t...
- 02.26.09
- |
- 05:31pm
-
Brownback Calls for Action Against "Conflict Coltan"
Brownback says mineral coltan is source of conflict in Congo, U.S. must do its part.
- 02.25.09
- |
- 04:56pm
