Angola
60 abducted Angolan children cause controversy

afrol News, 8 May  - While the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is calling "for the release of 60 children abducted over the weekend in an attack by an armed group northeast of Luanda," the Angolan rebels, UNITA, deny that there has been any abduction. UNICEF fears they are forcefully recruited to be child soldiers. 

According to Angolan government sources, 60 children had been abducted by UNITA rebels/terrorists in the attack on the town of Caxito, 60 km north of Luanda, which came after a relative lull in the long-running civil war in Angola. The government also informed that about 100 civilians were killed in the attack.

The report of the abduction of children by UNITA, which would not have been the first time, made the UN agency react. "UNICEF Angola and the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Angola were shocked and saddened by this past weekend's mass abduction of 60 Angolan children," the agency said in a statement.

In what UNICEF calls "a gross violation of their freedom and rights," the 60 children allegedly were abducted during an attack on Children's Town, a home for children run by the non-governmental organization ADPP in an "unprovoked act of violence". One of their Angolan teachers was also abducted. "The current welfare and whereabouts of the children and their teacher is unknown," UNICEF stated. 

Speaking to the BBC, UNITA spokesman Carlos Morgardo however said the children had been returned to their families in areas under UNITA control. He further accused the Angolan government of keeping the children against their own free will at the Children's Town. The ADPP-run Children's Town is home to over 100 children and youth who participate in vocational, educational, cultural and sports activities, according to UNICEF.

The return of the children reported by the BBC has so far not been confirmed. Spokeswoman for the organisation Rikke Vilholm confirmed to Reuters that the 60 children had indeed been abducted. 

- Unfortunately, this is not the first such attack resulting in the mass abduction of children in Angola, UNICEF today informs. "Two similar mass abductions occurred last year in Angola, resulting in the deaths of some children, and similar abductions have taken place throughout Angola's long civil conflict. The majority of these children have never been heard from since."

The motivation for these abductions is not clear, according to UNICEF Angola. However, children abucted in conflict countries are often used by armed groups to carry goods and ammunition and to cook and clean. "In the worst cases, children, particularly young girls, may be sexually abused and both girls and boys may be used in combat, whether as soldiers or as defensive shields," the UN agency warns. 

Even if there is no confirmation that the children in fact have been returned, the statements by spokesman Morgardo might indicate this. This would not represent a typical UNITA strategy, but on the other hand, the rebels/terrorists were caught in the act, getting exposed to an attention they seemingly have seeked to avoid. 

The new UNITA attacks in the Caxito area have brought heavy casualties among civilians. At least 100 civilian deaths are reported. Additionally, UNICEF reports about the death of four humanitarian workers, including an Angolan doctor working with the Italian organization COSV (Coordenação das Organizações Serviços Voluntários), and three Angolan staff members of ADPP - two teachers and a support worker.

Sources: UNICEF, BBC and afrol archives

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