Home | Culture | Politics | Congo: Why are girls joining armed groups instead of school?
November 14, 2016 , By Ynug Anabel
Congo: Why are girls joining armed groups instead of school?
CSIDRC
According to a report published by Child Soldiers International (CSI), a charity based in London, girls in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) decide to join armed groups because of the vacuum created by the absence of school and education in their lives.
The report said because some families cannot afford education for their daughters, girls seek protection and survival means such as food, water, and protection. "It is deeply shocking that, because their families cannot afford to pay school fees, some girls see joining an armed group as their only option, and decide to throw themselves in harm's way," said Isabelle Guitard, director of programs at CSI.
The fear of rejection has been keeping them away from home
According to Guitard, "despite the horrific abuse the girls go through while with armed groups, it is the rejection from their families and communities which distresses many of them the most." Although some boys succeed in getting the help of activists and organisations, and ultimately freeing themselves from the armed groups, girls remain most of the time. The reason behind this is the fear of stigma that female former soldiers might face when they are back to their communities. "If we leave the group, we're going to be targeted … so many girls accept and continue to live with their bush husband," said one of the 150 girls interviewed by CSI. (REUTERS)
#DRC Lack of School Drives Girls Into Armed Groups in East Congo https://t.co/iDxolOJuy0 It's a press release but I've seen this myself..
— digitaldjeli (@digitaldjeli) 15 novembre 2016
South Africa: Julius Malema urges supporters to seize lands by force?
The Dadaab camp in Kenya: Will it be shut down?
August 7, 2015 , By Ynug Anabel
Nigeria: The next step is a weapons factory
Nigeria has been fighting extremist group Boko Haram for the last six years. Recently elected president Muhammadu Buhari has been setting goals and strategies related to the issue. The last one of these is to allow his country to have its own national weapons factory. Buhari, who has recently came back from his trip to […]
Does ICC interfere too much in Kenya?
Last Sunday Kenya's president Uhuru Kenyatta said he is "tired of interference" from the International Criminal Court (ICC). His statement is one of the most straightforward criticism directed towards ICC. In 2011, ICC judges accused Kenyatta of promoting and actively participating in the eruption of ethnic violence after the presidential elections of 2007, charges that […]
November 16, 2015 , By Denis TUTU
How is Europe dealing with African migration?
On Wednesday, November 9th 2015, European and African leaders met at a summit in Malta to talk about the issue of migration, a heated debate that involves politicians, economists, and common citizens of the world. During the last year, Africans, and non Africans, have been trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe where they […]