|
Child Soldiers Recruited by Darfur Rebels JEM Raised
at UN, Development Spin Questioned
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS,
July 17 -- As children and armed
conflict was debated Thursday in the Security Council, questions arose
outside,
about the even-handedness of the International Criminal Court, about
particular
child soldiers recruited by
the rebel Justice and Equality Movement in Sudan,
even about attempts by the Security Council's Vietnamese presidency for
July to
possibly dislodge the issue from the Council's agenda by insisting on
"the
development approach" rather than "a peace and security perspective
and a rights-based approach." These quotes are from Vietnam's "Concept
Paper" for the debate, which many advocates interpreted as a move to
shift
the issue back from the Council to the General Assembly.
When Inner City Press asked Vietnam's
Ambassador Le Luong Minh to respond to these concerns, he responded
that
"prevention is most effective and less costly," but added that on
children
affected by armed conflict, the Council "should get involved and play a
greater role." Video here,
from Minute 12:27.
Le Luong Minh and Mr. Ban, who notes
Omdurman child soldiers, action not shown
The UN
Secretary-General's most recent report on Darfur notes "child soldiers
among the Justice and Equality Movement combatants in Omdurman" and
claimed that "my office is pressing for the release of the children
detained by the Government." The children have been held for more than
two
months, and it is UNICEF, Inner City Press had been told, which is
trying to
get them released.
On Thursday
Inner City Press asked UNICEF's Associate
Director for Child Protection Krin Landgren what her agency has done.
She said
she is "not familiar with that particular case," and promised to get
back with information. While UNICEF has previously provided an update
about volleyballs
for the child soldiers captured at Omdurman, it seemed noteworthy that
the
agency's Associate Director for Child Protection had not heard of the
case,
particularly in light of the Secretary-General's statement that "my
office
is pressing for the release of the children detained by the
Government."
Which office?
Ban's
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika
Coomaraswamy,
said when asked if she thought the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo
should act
on the Secretary-General's report of 90 some children recruited by JEM,
said
that Ocampo should "follow the evidence." But here the UN itself has
already essentially confirmed the recruitment by JEM. So is 90
"enough," Inner City Press asked. "Yes, of course," Ms.
Coomaraswamy said. We'll see. Watch this site.
And this --
|
