Child soldiers on front lines of Congo conflict

A resurgence of violence in Congo reached a pinnacle this week as M23rebel fightersseizedGomaand anearby international airport, increasing widespread concernsamongst humanitarian organizations that some of thosefightingon the front lines are child soldiers.

The rebel force originating from soldiers who defected from a Congolesemilitia seven months ago has stretchedits influence across theNorth Kivu province bordering Rwanda, on Tuesday capturing the provincial capital, which is home to one million people.

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The U.S.-based Human Rights Watchhas accusedthe M23of usingchild soldiers,defined by the UN as anyone conscripted under age 18.

International lawidentifies any person under that age who is being involuntarilyused by an armed group, whether as asex slave, cook, porter, spy ormessenger,to beconsidered a child soldier.

An opportune time

Human Rights Watchsays children are being recruited on both sides of the Congo-Rwanda border, as part of the ongoing battle that the M23 indicated Wednesday would not end until the rebels capture Congo's capital.

Shelly Whitman, director of theHalifax-based Child Soldiers Initiative, housed atDalhousie University's Centre for Foreign Policy Studies,on Wednesday was in Musanze, Rwanda, one hour northeast of Goma.

"Even thoughwe're not very far away, people are very calm," she said

Whitman is taking part in a UN course aimed attraining national level troops and peacekeepers in the region on how to approach child soldiers.

"Its an extremely opportune time because of whats happening," Whitman said. "There's been a heavy use of children in Congo and its not a secret to anybody.

"Every incarnation of every group there has used them at one point or another."

That includes the Congolese government, which according to local media reportshanded out weapons to children as M23 rebels rolled into Goma, Whitman said.

In a report to be released Friday, the United Nations accuses the M23 of grave crimes including recruiting child soldiers, summary executions and rape, according to research by the UN Group of Experts.

The international community has been slow to act on the issue, but both the UN and the U.S. agreed to sanction M23Col. Sultani Makengarecentlyfor allegedly having abetted the conscription of child soldiers.

Bosco Ntaganda, another prominent figure within the rebels ranks, was indicted by the International Criminal Court in 2006on three counts of crimes against humanity, as well as seven forthe conscription and enlistment of child soldiers.

Witnesseshave told Human Rights Watchthatmost of the childrenused in the Congo conflictwere abducted from their homes,from markets, or while walking to their farms.

"There are lots of children with Ntaganda now and they send us to the front lines so we're the first to die. It's as if they take us to kill us," a former child soldier toldthe organization.

Whitman estimates there are about 200,000 children in Congo's conflict region that could potentially be exposed to the flow of small arms.

2leaders meet in Uganda

Rwanda has been accused by the Congolese government as recently as this week for propping up the rebel fighters with weapons.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Joseph Kabila met Wednesday in the Ugandan capital of Kampala, in a meeting mediated by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

With the UN estimating there are 250,000 child soldiers fighting around the world, Whitman said thatprotecting children should be a condition of any talks"to protect the most vulnerable."

"If there are any negotiations going on, this should be the top issue right now."