/ 16 August 2001

DRC REBELS TO DEMOBILISE CHILD SOLDIERS

Unicef chief Carol Bellamy said on Wednesday that rebel groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo had agreed to work with her organisation towards the demobilisation of child soldiers and to stop recruiting children. “The rebel forces too, want to work with us in the program to integrate these children back to their normal life,” Bellamy said, adding that a programme with the DRC government on demobilising the soldiers was already in place. The Kinshasa government faces armed opposition from two rebel groups, the Congolese Rally for Democracy, which is backed by Rwanda, and the Congolese Liberation Front, which enjoys support from Uganda. – AFP