GOMA, DRC March 21st 2005 64 adolescents under the
age of 18 are driven from the FARDC military camp in Moushaki about 15km from
Goma to a new Centre de transit et Orientation in Goma. With the new program
of 'Brassage' in the military forces, where militias are incorporated into
the regular army, large numbers of child soldiers are being de-mobilzed under
Unicef's direction. Story Header: De-mobilization of Militias in Eastern
Congo MONUC (the United Nations Peace Keeping Mission to the Congo) has given
militias in the embattled Eastern Provinces of the DR Congo until April 1st
to turn in their weapons and join the de-mobilization and re-integration
program run by the UNDP (United Nations Development Program). Although the
program had been in effect for months, there had been limited disarmament.
Once the deadline had been set, a flood of militiamen, including child
soldiers, suddenly entered the program.
