Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Gulu (Fides Service)- “Every day we live the tragedy of little girls abducted by rebels” said Comboni missionary Fr Tarcisio Pazzaglia in northern Uganda where the rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army Uganda are notorious for using child soldiers. The missionary is familiar with the phenomenon because he has a home for former child soldiers which at the moment cares for 260 children who escaped from the militia. “Our children, boys and girls, have returned to their families but since the latter are unable to keep them they come to us and we provide them with a home and food and make sure they go to school from primary school through to high school” the missionary said.
“Little girls are abducted at the age of 7 or 8 and used as servants, made to cook and fetch firewood and water. They are not usually abused sexually but once they reach the age of puberty they are taken as wives for the military leaders and they live in very sad conditions. Girls who escape say they were hunted and suffered hunger and thirst for days. And the other wives are jealous because each leader takes at least 3 or 4 ‘wives’ and the youngest are treated like slaves by the older ones. Those who manage to escape and reach their village are usually welcomed although they are looked at with some suspicion and many wonder if they have AIDS ” Fr Tarcisio said.
In a recent report “Forgotten Casualties of War: Girls in Armed Conflict” humanitarian organisation Save the Children said that while the problem of child soldiers is known, up to now the fact that many girls are made to take part in war was unknown. Save the Children says that 40% of the estimated 300,000 child soldiers enlisted by armed groups are girls
The countries affected by this crime are Uganda, Congo and Sierra Leone, where from the age of 8 little girls are taken away from their families and made to work for armed groups, some a combatants, others as cooks and helpers. In Uganda alone an estimated 6,500 girls have been abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army and another 12,000 have been made to join armed groups in Democratic Congo. In Sri Lanka there are an estimated 21,500 girls involved in the fighting.
“But we must not give up hope, we must continue to work to rescue these victims of violence” the missionary told Fides. “Two of the catechumens in my mission, aged 18 and 20, were abducted when they were 7 and now they want to take their place again in civil society” Fr. Tarcisio concluded. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 26/4/2005 righe 39 parole 496)
