22 juni 2005

Defence for Children International Nederland heeft een oproep gedaan aan de regeringsleiders in de Democratische Republiek Congo. Gevraagd wordt om onmiddellijke vrijlating van de kinderen die afgelopen dagen zijn opgepakt en in de gevangenis zijn gegooid in Kinshasa, Kananga, Tshikapa, Mbuji Mayi en op andere plaatsen in de Democratische Republiek Congo. Ook zijn de Defence for Children International-secties in Afrika benaderd om actie te ondernemen. Zie hieronder voor de brief aan de regeringsleiders.

His Excellency President and Head of State

Son Excellence Major-General Joseph KABILA, Président de la République Présidence de la République, Palais de la Nation, Kinshasa-Ngaliema République Démocratique du Congo,fax 00243 880 21 21 / 00243 880 2938 Email: upp@ic.cd

copie to Monsieur Jacques Masangu-a-Mwanza, Ambassadeur de la République Démocratique du Congo aux Pays-Bas, Violenweg 2, 2597 KL Den Haag the Netherlandsfax +31 (0)70-3541373

Your Excellency,

Please allow me to draw your attention to the case of many street children who have been arrested and put in jail during the last few days in Kinshasa, Kananga, Tshikapa and other places in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These children, often orphans, have been facing police roundups in the middle of the night. Reliable local and international sources state that it is the fear of what June 30 2005 might hold that explains these arrests. More than a hundred street children are sent to prison accused of vagrancy, but often without explanations, procedures and fair trial. This is no good news, especially not during the month of the child in Africa.

Arrests without fair trials or processes are unlawful and are violating international standards such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (article 37 and 40) and the UN Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty (Havana Rules, 1990).   

In the highly populated prisons the children can die of malnutrition and illness, as happens already with youngsters that are detained without any form of process. Especially orphans and other children who are forced to live on the streets need extra protection and facilities of the authorities. The government needs to take its responsibility for the youth now in order to comply with international standards and to make sure that not yet another generation will be lost.

Defence for Children International kindly urges you to investigate these arrests and the situation of these
young citizens as a matter of urgency. Food, drinking water, hygiene and health care should be provided
for all. If the children are being detained without charge and have not been tried in fair and prompt trials,
they should be released unconditionally and immediately.  

I am confident of your good will and sense of justice.Yours sincerely,

Stan Meuwese, director Defence for Children International The Netherlands