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Press Release

UNICEF applauds agreement with Uganda on child soldiers

9 February 2001: The United Nations Children's Fund applauds the Government of Uganda for granting full access to a political and military training camp housing child soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and for agreeing that all soldiers in the camp under the age of 18 will be handed over to UNICEF for care and protection.

This action represents a major breakthrough for ending the recruitment of child soldiers by all sides in the conflict in DRC.

On February 13, 2001 representatives from UNICEF, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Development Programme, Save the Children Alliance and select non-governmental organizations will be given full and unlimited access to the training camp. They will determine how many of the 693 individuals airlifted several months ago from Bunia in northeastern DRC for military training in Uganda are in fact children. Following the assessment, the Government of Uganda will release the children to UNICEF.

UNICEF will insure the protection of the children until they can be safely reunited with their families and has already established a task force to cover all aspects of the release and reunification, including assessment, tracing and resettlement.

UNICEF thanks the donor community and the European Union, who played key roles in supporting the negotiations with the Government of Uganda.

* * * * *

For further information, please contact:

Liza Barrie, UNICEF Media, New York
(212) 326-7593
lbarrie@unicef.org

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2001

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In Angola, a call for release of 60 abducted children Tues., 8 May
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2,500 demobilized child soldiers out of Sudan Tuesday, 27 Feb
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2000

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Bellamy to Security Council on protection of children in conflict Wed, 26 July
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1999

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