Rwandan Children and young people forcibly fighting with M23 are victims not enemy combatants

Since we reported in December 2012, about children that have been missing in Rwanda and forced to go to flight in DRC with M23 rebels, at Global Campaign for Rwandan Human Rights has continued receiving reports of parents missing children.
Since January 2013, we have been given 16 names mostly taken from Rubavu district in western province.
After Four Rwandans have told the BBC that the Rwandan army forcibly recruited them to fight for the M23 rebel group in neighbouring eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and confirmed that they have witnessed a large number of young Rwandans forced to fight for the M23 we have requested the following:

To the Congolese government:
- To consider Rwandan children and young people fighting for the M23 rebels as victims of oppression not enemy combatants.
- To provide protection and support to Rwandan children and young people who are fleeing from or captured fighting with M23.
- To facilitate family reunification and contact of Rwandan children and young people who are fleeing from or captured fighting with M23.

To Rwandan government:
- To stop recruiting and forcing Rwandan children and young people to fight for the M23 rebels.
- To facilitate children and young people who are former combatants with M23 to be reunited with their families and access suitable support.

Global Campaign for Rwandan’s Human Right
info@rwandansrights.org

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