For an introduction to the work of the Coalition, click here: Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers

Since our last update, the Coalition has continued its research into the use of child soldiers by the Mai Mai militia; we have developed a public education booklet on the national and international law regarding child soldiers and there have been some key changes to our staff.

Research into the use of child soldiers by the Mai Mai militia

In our last update, we reported that the Coalition had created a research plan and had begun to collect background information from secondary sources and interviews with relevant organizations.

 

Since then, field based research on the recruitment and use of children among the Mai Mai was conducted. The purpose of the research was to gather information on the Mai Mai operating in the Kivu provinces, such as the origins and objectives of the groups, their composition, the recruitment and use of children, and their associations with other armed groups and the Congolese government. Over 100 serving and former members of the Mai Mai were interviewed, including a significant number of boys and girls.

 

The findings are scheduled to be published in autumn 2009 and will be used to develop the Coalition’s strategies on children associated with the Mai Mai. In addition to highlighting the patterns of recruitment and use of child soldiers, the research provided significant insights into the challenges faced by former child soldiers when they try to re-integrate into their communities, particularly for girls or those who have decided to leave of their own accord. There is a degree of social stigma around former child soldiers especially for young mothers who have borne children in the Mai Mai ranks and there remains a real absence of adequate and long term rehabilitation support.

 

The Coalition also worked with a number of regional advocacy groups during the research project and this helped develop the ability of these groups to document evidence on human rights violations.

 

The research consultant and Coalition’s regional staff worked closely with partner organizations in North and South Kivu to collect data, conduct interviews and gather information on the recruitment and use of children by the local Mai Mai militia. The participation of members of the committees from Goma (PAMI – Programme de lutte contre l'extrême pauvreté et la misère),Bukavu (BVES – Bureau pour le Volontariat au service de l’Enfance et de la Santé and CELPA – Communauté des Eglises Libres de Pentecôte en Afrique) and Uvira (AJEDI-KA – Association de jeunes pour le développement intégré Kalundu) was extremely helpful.

 

Briefings were held on the research methodology, the content of the research questionnaires and the list of participants selected and the regional groups then assisted with the interviews, in some cases conducting them and translating when appropriate. This also allowed the groups to strengthen their skills in planning and designing research on violations of child rights and gathering and recording information. 

 

Future projects arising from the Mai Mai research are being developed with these groups in mind. This may include meetings with government representatives in Kinshasa and Goma, radio debates, training workshops and theatre performances.

 

 

As an important step in its efforts to strengthen awareness of child rights within local communities in the DRC, the Coalition is in the final stages of publishing a booklet on national and international laws that prohibit the use of child soldiers. The target audience for the booklet is communities, including parents, community leaders and NGO representatives working in child protection and child rights. It will serve as a practical guide to current legislation on child recruitment and use with the aim to strengthen the implementation of such laws.

 

The booklet is being edited so that the relevant legislation can be clearly understood and applied at the community level. Once the text is finalized it will be published for circulation in the DRC. The possibility of a Swahili translation is currently being explored, resources permitting. Once launched, the booklet will serve as a useful community resource and as an effective tool for sustained advocacy to stop the recruitment of child soldiers in the region.

 

 

The Coalition’s Great Lakes program manager, Héloïse Ruaudel, left her post in April after three years of work on this challenging and complex region. We wish her every success in her future endeavours. We are pleased to announce the appointment of Carolyn Norris, senior program manager for Africa and Sarah Mathewson, Africa program officer. Both will be focussed on the Coalition’s work in the Great Lakes and in other parts of Africa.

 

Carolyn is currently deputy director of the Africa division at Human Rights Watch. She has extensive experience working in Africa, including as a researcher at Amnesty International, as human rights advisor to the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and as project director for the International Crisis Group – both posts located in Dakar, Senegal. Carolyn brings a wealth of experience and skills in advocacy, research and strategy development. She has worked with local and national NGOs all over the African sub-continent.

 

Sarah also joins us from Human Rights Watch, where she has been working as an associate on the Great Lakes team. In that role she has developed considerable knowledge of political and human rights developments and familiarity with information sources and documentation. Sarah has lived in Senegal, where she worked with UNESCO. Her work included involvement in projects on peace education among former child soldiers from Liberia and Sierra Leone.

James Etchells

August 2009

 

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