Former Rebels Accused of Retaining 'Bush Wives'

December 20, 2004 - (The Independent) UNICEF in Sierra Leone says many of the girls and women used as "sex slaves' by commanders of the various fighting factions in Sierra Leone are still retained by them.

The agency's assertion is based on a report in the 2004 Global report. The 2004 Global report says over 10, 000 children, including girls, were recruited as combatants during the ten-year civil conflict from 1991 to 2002 in Sierra Leone.

The report also states that children are recruited in other war-torn countries like Ivory Coast and DR. Congo

The report says despite thousands of abducted girls, women and their children have not been accounted for. Only about 8% of the girls associated with the rebel forces were demobilized. According to the Global Report 2004, some 1,000 women and girls are still with their former rebel commanders who claim them as wives.

UNICEF says, "Urgent attention needs to be given at the chiefdom, district and national level in addressing the issue of the 'Girls Left Behind', through targeted community-based social and economic development initiatives. Utilization of existing community-based structures, such as the Family Support Unit of the Sierra Leonean Police and Social Development Workers from the Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children's Affairs (MSWGCA), to examine the situation of girls and women, either remaining with commanders or abandoned in communities at the end of the conflict will be crucial".

UNICEF says, "Child demobilization programs did not capture the unique situation of former fighters who lost their childhood as a result of being recruited or abducted as children and after ten years of war were instead demobilized as adults. Priority must therefore be given to children in the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and the proposed Children's Policy".

The Sierra Leone Government has however been praised for positive strides in the protection of children.

A release from UNICEF in Freetown says, "Since the end of the war, significant strides have been taken by the Government of Sierra Leone and its partners to ensure the protection of children associated with the fighting forces (CAFF). The Government has ratified the Optional Protocol on the non-recruitment of children into armed groups, and over the past three years there has been no reported case of recruitment of children by armed groups within the country".

UNICEF however also looks on the bright side of things. It says about 98% of the estimated 6,845 children demobilized have been successfully reunified within their families and communities. "Worthy of note within the reunification process has been the active involvement of children in the proceedings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission culminating in the first ever "child-friendly" version of a Truth and Reconciliation Report", the report states.

UNICEF however points out that though the Optional Protocol on Non-Recruitment of Children has been ratified, changes in national legislation in Sierra Leone are yet to be made. "Advisably, sub regional response to reports on movements of small arms and child fighters across borders would go a long way towards reducing continued instability within the region".

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200412201109.html