Newspaper Page Text
2A
FEBRUARY 21, 2002
Nation/World
Boys prey to rebel movement as
violence continues in northeastern
By ARNAUD ZAJTMAN
Associated Press Writer
BUHIA, Congo
Every night before he falls
asleep on his straw mat in a
mud-brick housein thisviolent
corner of Congo, Samson
Mwesiga is overwhelmed by
happiness— andalso with anxi
ety.
After eight months of inten
sive military training with
rebels in neighboring Uganda,
he and 200 other boys were
recently demobilized with the
help of S.O.S Great Lakes, a
local non-governmental orga
nization. These days; Samson
goes to school, not battle.
But his happiness and relief
are matched by constant fear
andanxiety that hewill beforced
back into rebel ranks.
“The army was so bad, the
instructors were beating us
with sticks and with stones all
the time” the 16-year-old says
wearily. Now, “they come al
most every day. Theysay that if
Idon’treturn, oneday they will
kill me.”
Unlike many boys in Bunia,
Samson has -0 far managed to
resist _ with the help of work
ers from 5.0.5., who visit
Bunia’s demobilized child sol
diers regularly, helping them
hold on. The groupisfunded by
the U.N. children’s agency,
UNICEF.
These efforts could be rein
forced by a new international
treatythatcameintoforce Tues
dayandbanstherecruitment of
child soldiers by armies and
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Young soldiers from a Ugandan supported Congolese rebel movement group, sing
liberqiion songs waving their rifles in this Jan. 30, 2002 photo in the north eastern
Congolese town of Bunia. For decades, boys have been a mainstay of rebel armiesaround
the world, the United Nations estimates that more than 300,000 children under the age
of 18 are currently fighting worldwide, mostly with rebel groups. AP Photo/Karel Prinsioo
rebels. The U.N. General As
sembly approved the treaty in
August 2000; so far 96 coun
tries have signed the treaty,
including Congo, and 14 have
ratifiedit.
At a news conference in New
York, the U.N. special envoy for
childrenin armed conflict, Olaru
Otunnu, said Secretary-General
Kofi Annan plans to “name and
shame” those nations still using
childsoldiersin hisnextreport to
the Security Council on the sub
ject. It is expected sometime this
summer.
Leaders of rebel groups in
Congo like the one that forcibly
recruited Samson say they sup
port the treaty’s principles —
“these children need help,” said
Mbusa Nyamwisi, leader of the
Bunia-based faction of the rebel
Congolese Rally for Democracy.
But children, who often have
only vague notions of death and
no families to feed, make ideal
rebel sbldiers. For decades, boys
have been a mainstay of rebel
armies around the world —the
United Nations estimates that
more than 300,000 children un
der the age of 18 are currently
fighting worldwide, mostly with
rebel groups.
Nyamwisi casually acknowl
edges that his group still uses
child soldiers, although he says
they have recently demobilized
86. Asfortheothers—herefused
tosayhow manyarestill fighting
for his faction — Nyamwisi said
many have committed atrocities
and remain with the rebels for
protection against reprisals.
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Alleged terror links dulls
glitter of tanzanite ore
By GEORGE MWANGI
Associated Press Writer
MERERANI, Tanzania
Sammy Mollel frowned as he
held up a sample of tanzanite
ore containing the blue-to-vio
let gemstonesuniqueto Tanza
nia.
Normally thefind would make
his eyes light up. But Mollel’s
business faces ruin since Tif
fany & Co. and other U.S. jew
elry firms suspended tanzanite
salesbecause ofalleged links to
Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida
terror network.
“We are not aware of any al-
Qaida people buying tanzanite
here,” said Mollel, who is also
chairman of the 200-member
Tanzania Mineral Dealers As
sociation. “There are some
people with ulterior motives
drawingthislink todestroythe
tanzanite market.”
Tiffahy, Zale Corp. and QVC
Inc., which together constitute
the largest market for tanzan
iteintheworld, suspendedsales
in November after The Wall
Street Journal reported that
some Muslim extremists loyal
to bin Laden were buying the
gemstones in Tanzania and
smuggling them to Dubai and
HongKongtofinanceal-Qaida.
Mollel was part of a govern
ment delegation headed by Min
ister of Energy and Minerals
Edgar Maokola-Majogo that
carried talks in the United
States last week to try to con
vincebuyersthattanzanite has
no links to al-Qaida.
Maokola-Majogotold hisU.S.
hosts the tanzanite industry
has begun adopting new mea
sures to license and secure the
Ny £ igl
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mining, trade and exportation
of the rare blue gemstone.
Tanzanian police are cur
rently conducting a sweep of
theminestoremoveillegal min
ers and dealers, he said. The
government will also developa
system to monitor the move
mentoftanzanite from thetime
itleavesthemineto the point of
first export.
Mike O’Keefe, officer of East
African Affairsfor the U.S. State
Department, said U.S. govern
ment officials have not found
evidence of alink between tan
zanite sales and al-Qaida, the
terror organization headed by
Osama bin Laden.
“Tanzania, I assure you, has
doneeverythingin its power to
assist us in the war on terror
ism,” O’Keefetold reporterson
Saturday.
Tiffany, Zales and QVC said
theysuspended tanzanitesales
asaprecaution. The companies
said the U.S. jewelry industry
has been gathering informa
tion,but doesn’t plan toresume
sales until sure that no profits
are ending up in the coffers of
al-Qaida.
“It’sabeautiful stone, some
thing we would love to sell, but
until we can feel comfortable
that it’s not funding terrorist
groups, you won'’t see us back
in it,” said David Sternblitz,
Zales’ director of investor and
public relations.
The Wall Street Journal’s
story quoted minersandaTan
zanian official who studied the
trade. Last month, it also cited
a diary of a former personal
secretary tobin Laden who de
scribed hisinvolvement in tan
zanitetrading.