By Elizabeth Costner
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Africa

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo – A UN mission in the DRC reported yesterday that hundreds of under-aged boys and girls are being forcibly recruited by rival armed groups and sent to the front lines of the escalating conflict in the North Kivu province in the far eastern part of the country.   “Many testimonies gathered recently confirmed that after being forcibly recruited, children receive military training and are sent to the front line for fighting, while others are used for logistical tasks or as sexual slaves.”

The UN mission, known as MONUC, has identified two groups, one of which is led by the renegade General Laurent Nkunda, as the main groups responsible for the recruitment.  The groups are known to be deliberately canvassing and searching schools and camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) looking for children.  This has led to the closure of a number of schools and families that have tried to resist the recruitment have faced retaliation. 

Since 2004 the UN has rescued an estimated 8,500 child soldiers, however it is believed that many of these children have been re-recruited in the last few months or have been used as sex slaves.  MONUC pledged to increase its efforts to protect children and to prevent their forced recruitment, and called on the rebel groups to abort the process.

The UN has been increasingly worried about the humanitarian situation inside North Kivu, where tens of thousands of people are on the move due to increased fighting.  An estimated 800,000 Congolese are now internally displaced within the province with 170,000 of those in the last four months alone.

The security situation in North Kivu has made it difficult for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other aid agencies to reach many areas of the province, which borders Rwanda and Uganda.  More than 4,500 MONUC troops have been deployed to help protect Goma and the key town of Sake.

For more information, please see:

UN News Centre – DR Congo: UN mission says recruitment of child soldiers is surging – 14 December 2007

AP – UN: Congo Groups Recruiting Children – 14 December 2007

The Age (Australia) – More needs to be done for child soldiers, says UN official – 14 December 2007

HARARE, Zimbabwe – According to researchers of Amnesty International, the frequency and severity of beatings and torture of political opponents has increased since a mediation process began. South African President Thabo Mbeki has been facilitating the mediation between the government and opposition leaders, on behalf of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), in hopes of resolving their issues.

The report was released after the researchers returned from Zimbabwe earlier this week. According to the organization, several identified police units have been responsible for the ongoing violence against human rights and opposition groups, mainly the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The report is a summary and analysis of evidence and accounts from a range of sources including victims, doctors and lawyers.

According to the report, the Zimbabwe police would quickly stop all demonstrations by human rights groups. Once in police custody, members of those groups would be assaulted and denied access to lawyers or medical care.

The demonstrations are mainly in response to the government’s failure to address the economic and humanitarian crisis. The official inflation rate as of October was 14,000% and basic commodities are scarce. Furthermore, several groups have made allegations of human rights violations including the MDC and the Women in Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA).

For more information please see:

AllAfrica.com- Zimbabwe: Amnesty Reports Increased Police Torture of Innocent Civilians – 14 December 2007

Yahoo News (AFP) – Zimbabwe Police Still Beating, Torturing Opponents: Amnesty – 13 December 2007

Amnesty International- Zimbabwe: Police Still Torture While Political Solution to Crisis Being Sought  – 14 December 2007

GOMA, DRC – In Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, thousands of people have fled General Laurent Nkunda’s rebel army. An estimated 400,000 people have been forced to move from their homes this year alone. 

The rebels have been able to advance on the town of Sake, which is located about 30km north-west of Goma. This in turn has pushed back government forces.

Since the army lost land to rebel forces last week, many innocent victims have been forced to flee from the conflict. Many victims have arrived to the regional capital of Goma, in an attempt to seek shelter. Presently, Goma is being defended by United Nation Troops.

In the surrounding hillside, UN troops have taken offensive precautionary measures. Major Prem Tiwari stated “We have reinforced our positions. We won’t let this town fall into the hands of Nkunda’s troops.”

Rebel spokesman, Rene Abandi stated “We are calling for a political solution – to end discrimination against some communities to solve the problem of the Interahamwe and to organise a modern army,” He believes that the solution to the conflict comes with political and not military action.

Anneke Van Woudenberg of Human Rights Watch was quoted as saying “The fundamental issues that led to the Congo war have never really been dealt with” and “we are seeing the results of that now.”

For more information, please see

BBC – Congolese flee as rebels advance – 13 December 2007

BBC- Congo Rebels Call For Peace Talks – 13 December 2007

The Sydney Morning Tribunal –  Fragile Democracy Faces Yet Another War  – 13 December 2007