UN envoy calls on warring West African parties to cease activities affecting children

With many children gravely impacted by the conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Liberia over the last several weeks, a United Nations envoy today called on the parties involved to cease activities affecting children and warned that they risk being held accountable.

Speaking to correspondents at the UN Headquarters in New York, Olara Otunnu, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, said in both Liberia and DRC, children were among the many killed in recent clashes.

"We've heard many reports of attacks on schools and hospitals. There is rampart recruitment and use of children as child soldiers and we have reliable reports of widespread abduction and grave sexual violence against girls in particular," Mr. Otunnu said.

The lack of humanitarian access, which could have provided medical care, food and security to those in need, also made children particularly vulnerable, he added. There was also massive displacement of the population, including children separated from their parents, internally and cross-border.

Mr. Otunnu underlined that the described abuse and committed atrocities violated the Rome Statute governing the International Criminal Court (ICC) - which defined attacks on schools and hospitals, recruitment and use of children as soldiers and committing sexual violence as war crimes. They also violated the African Charter on the Rights and Well-being of Children, the International Labour Convention and four Security Council Resolution on Children and Armed Conflict.

Stressing that the situation in the two countries presented sub-regional problems, the envoy warned that the situation in Liberia could easily undo the new-found peace in Sierra Leone and could affect Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea as well. He said the attitude and conduct of neighbouring countries also had a significant impact on what was happening in Ituri, DRC.

Mr. Otunnu called on the parties involved in the Liberian conflict to cease activities affecting children and warned that they risk being held accountable. He also supported the call for a more robust UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) mandate and for an increased military presence.