By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KINSHASA, DR Congo – The United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has launched a child protection campaign in a war-ravaged eastern province of the African nation.  The UN mission, known by its French acronym as MONUC, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and local authorities expect the initiative, focused in north-eastern Oriental province, to sensitize the public to the rights of children and create a protective environment for them.

Using various media outlets, the campaign plans to flood the public with broadcast and published messages on children’s rights until 20 November, marking Universal Children’s Day. MONUC began the campaign yesterday in the city of Kisangani with a two-day sensitization session for 30 journalists on the rights of the child under international and national law. At the session’s opening of the mission’s interim Bureau Chief in Kisangani, Idrissa Ba, expressed concern over continuing attacks on children’s rights in Oriental province.

The Lord’s Resistance Army, led by international fugitive Joseph Kony is notorious for abducting girls and boys to use as sex slaves and soldiers respectively. The attacks also include ransacking homes, churches and health facilities; stealing food, and killing innocent civilians. These successive and constant attacks have caused widespread panic and fear as thousands remain stranded and even more vulnerable to future attacks.

In March, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that in a six month period, almost 1,000 Congolese had been murdered by the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and some 750 abducted. The vast majority of those 750 children, were reportedly forced into combat or utilized as sex slaves. Idrissa Ba underscored the importance of the targeting the media in the campaign, saying that journalists “are capable of distributing messages to the general public that encourage the development of attitudes and behaviors favorable to the respect of children’s rights.” The initiative includes several other sensitization training and workshop sessions for different civil society groups, and will end next month with organized exhibitions and activities with and for children.
For more information, please see:

All Africa – UN Mission in DR Congo Launches Child Protection Campaign in Strife-Ridden Province – 8 October 2009

World News Report – UN Mission for Child Protection in the Congo – 8 October 2009

UN News Center-UN mission in DR Congo launches child protection campaign in strife-ridden province – 8 October 2009

Newstime Africa – Ugandan Rebel Group, LRA, Expands Its Terror Campaign – 28 August 2009