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NEWS STORY
Agence France-Presse  July 25, 2003 DAKAR, Senegal -- The Econonic Community of West African States will tackle the problem of child soldiers at a summit meeting in Dakar September 6, a government spokesman said Friday. "The enrollment of children in armed conflicts, in particular in Liberia at present, is among the major preoccupations of UNICEF," the UN children's agency said here. It said it counted on cooperating closely with ECOWAS peacekeeping forces when they move into Liberia to protect children caught up in the civil war there. A summit meeting dealing with the subject had been scheduled last October, but was postponed because of the outbreak of fighting in the Ivory Coast. UNICEF's Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Rima Salah, was quoted as saying the summit meeting also will deal with questions concerning health, education, access to clean water and the fight against HIV/AIDS. Last week, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's special envoy for children at war, Alara Otunnu, said he hoped the ECOWAS peacekeeping force would be accompanied by advisers on protecting children. "Children are dying in Liberia, and not just of disease," said Salah, adding that many youngsters are being killed in battle or after they have been sexually abused. URL: story url
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