Over 8,000 children rescued from armed groups between 2009 to 2015
Xinhua, June 17, 2016 Adjust font size:
Over 8,000 children were rescued from armed groups by the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the Congolese army, from Jan. 1, 2009 to May 31, 2015, head of the interim MONUSCO office in Goma, Josiah Obat, said Thursday.
Obat was speaking in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) during celebrations to mark the International Day of the African Child.
This year's event was marked under the theme "Conflicts and crises in Africa Let us protect rights of all children."
He said 56 percent of those children were rescued in North Kivu province in the east of the country.
"There are some rebels who do not want to surrender. I believe it is time they put down their weapons and support efforts to restore peace in eastern DR Congo," Obat said.
On Wednesday, MONUSCO and the Congolese Football federation signed an agreement for elimination of the phenomenon of "child soldiers."
MONUSCO will use football tournaments to sensitize armed groups to end the phenomenon of "child soldier" in DR Congo, so that they can rejoin their families. Endit