Military

DATE=2/1/2003

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=I-O-M/CHILD SOLDIERS (L-Only)

NUMBER=2-299079

BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The International Organization for Migration, I-O-M, says hundreds of former rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army, or L-R-A, have registered to return to Uganda from Kenya under a Ugandan Amnesty Act. Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports, many of the former rebels were abducted as children by the L-R-A.

TEXT: The International Organization for Migration says nearly 400 former combatants of the Lord's Resistance Army, and their dependents, including abducted women and children, have registered to return home. It says it hopes the rest of the one-thousand former rebels in Kenya will apply for amnesty before the screening and registration process ends on February 7th. I-O-M spokesman Jean-Philippe Chauzy says all these people have harrowing stories to tell.

/// CHAUZY ACT ///

We have got, for instance, an 18-year-old boy who was abducted -- he says he was abducted at the age of five. He was basically used to carry stuff for the Lord's Resistance Army, and then he was basically taught to kill, and he fought in the ranks of the L-R-A against his will until 1999, until he fled to neighboring Kenya.

/// END ACT ///

The L-R-A has waged a guerrilla war in northern Uganda for the past 10 years. It has abducted nearly 10-thousand children who have been used as soldiers, porters and sex slaves. Many thousands are believed to have died while in captivity. The U-N Children's Fund, UNICEF, says more than five-thousand abducted children are still missing. The Ugandan Amnesty Act, which was signed in January 2000, allows former L-R-A fighters to return home in safety. However, Mr. Chauzy says many of the former rebels are apprehensive about going back to Uganda.

/// 2ND CHAUZY ACT ///

There are lots of rumors spreading around. They are not entirely sure about their security upon arrival. But, that being said, once these people return, they will be covered by the Amnesty Commission, and they will be taken care of by various international organizations, including UNICEF, I-O-M and big N-G-Os (non-governmental organizations) such as World Vision. So their security and their re-integration will go ahead as planned.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Chauzy says there is a lot of good will to make sure the former rebels can re-integrate into civilian life. He says, upon their return, these people will be given psychological counseling, job training and, in some cases, micro-credits to help them become economically independent. (Signed)

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