Formerly ‘Africa Recovery’ United Nations Department of Public Information Vol. 21 No. 1 April 2007 Africa’s ‘indigenous’ peoples struggle for inclusion New UN head sets Africa as a priority Congolese media defend democracy UN / Eskinder Debebe NEPAD e-schools Peace in Great Lakes Gays, lesbians combat bias Freeing child soldiers Also inside United Nations Vol. 21 No. 1 April 2007 FRI UE ENOUVEAU contentsCover article Africa’s ‘indigenous’ people struggle for inclusion ................... .6 Also in this Issue New UN head sets Africa as a priority .......... 3 Freeing child soldiers....................... 4 Improving reintegration of ex-combatants ...... 5 Congolese media defend democracy .......... 9 The UN’s Radio Okapi .............................. 11 Panos Pictures / Sven Torfinn Gays and lesbians combat bias .............. 12 Indigenous Maasai women in Kenya at a rally to demand rights. Pledging peace in Great Lakes region ........ 18 Departments NEPAD in action Agenda ......................... .22 Books .......................... .22 Water betters lives in Tanzania............... 14 Briefs ........................... .23 Internet enriches learning in Uganda ......... 16 Watch .......................... .24 Africa Renewal is published in English and French by the Strategic Communications Division Editor-in-Chief of the United Nations Department of Public Information, with support from UNDP, UNICEF and Julie I. Thompson UNIFEM. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or the pub- lication’s supporting organizations. Material from this magazine may be freely reproduced, Managing Editor Writers Ernest Harsch Gumisai Mutume with attribution to “United Nations Africa Renewal,” and a clipping would be appreciated. Michael Fleshman Correspondence should be addressed to: Research Assistant The Editor, Africa Renewal, Room S-955, Marian Aggrey United Nations, NY 10017, USA, Tel: (212) 963-6857, Fax: (212) 963-4556 e-mail: [email protected] Administrative Assistant Distribution Deborah Tomassini Atar Markman Subscribe to Africa Renewal Annual subscriptions are available to individuals for $20 and to institutions for $35. Please send an international money order or make cheques payable in US dollars, drawn on a US Visit our website: bank, to the “United Nations” and send to Circulation at the address shown above. For those www.un.org/AR who lack the means to pay the subscription fee, a limited number of complimentary sub- scriptions are available. Please send a clearly written application to the editor. Features include • New releases • Subject index • Search Africa Renewal is printed on recycled paper. Africa a priority for new UN head Ban Ki-moon sets African issues high on the global agenda By Ernest Harsch led by a non-African, observed Mr. Ban, for the continent to overcome its unpre- uring his first official trip as UN who is from the Republic of Korea. “But cedented economic crisis. Delegates from Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon like all human beings,” he told the heads Africa, the rich donor countries and other D assured Africa’s leaders that the con- of state, “my origins are in the cradle of parts of the world negotiated a five-year tinent will remain a central priority for the humanity, Africa, and I am proud of that.” UN Programme of Action for African organization. Africa has achieved much The fundamental reasons for the UN’s Economic Recovery and Development. It through “unity of purpose,” he told a sum- emphasis on Africa lie in the continent’s amounted to a pact — unique in UN his- mit meeting of the African Union (AU) unfortunate realities, noted then Under- tory for its focus on just one world region in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 29 January, Secretary-General for Africa Legwaila — in which African countries pledged just four weeks after taking office. “Unity of purpose is also the foundation of Africa’s partnership with the United Nations,” he emphasized, “as we take on the broad range of chal- lenges we share.” Those challenges, Mr. Ban con- Mr. Ban Ki- tinued, include tackling ongoing moon visiting conflicts in Côte d’Ivoire, Somalia the Kibera slum and Sudan, building peace in in Nairobi, countries just emerging from war, Kenya, during combating disease and ill health, his first official reducing poverty, promoting broad- trip as the new based development and countering UN Secretary- the impact of climate change. General. He commented to journal- Reuters / Selomé Samuel ists: “My presence here in the first month of my tenure as the Secretary-General of the United Nations is a strong sign of the growing partnership between the United Nations and the African Union and of the high priority I attach to Africa.” Joseph Legwaila. “People are constantly to carry out sweeping economic reforms Mr. Ban’s trip, his appointment of reminded of the carnage in places like and donors promised to provide more aid an African woman (former Tanzanian Darfur,” he told Africa Renewal. “People and other support. Foreign Minister Asha-Rose Migiro) as are reminded of the AIDS pandemic. At the programme’s conclusion, then deputy secretary-general and his numer- And of course we are always described Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar ous affirmations about the continent’s as the poorest of all continents.” The found that while Africa had undertaken a importance came amidst some concern challenges facing Africa will not be dif- range of initiatives and achieved “notable within Africa that the end of the ten- ferent because the UN now has an Asian progress towards democratization,” the ure of the former Ghanaian secretary- Secretary-General, he said. “Africa will continent’s economic and social conditions general, Kofi Annan, might bring a shift continue to experience the problems it “actually worsened” during that period. in course. As a headline in the inde- has been experiencing.” The General Assembly responded by pendent daily L’Observateur Paalga of drawing up another plan, this time lasting Burkina Faso expressed it: “UN: change A built-in focus a decade, called the UN New Agenda for in men, change in priorities.” Africa became a central priority for the Development of Africa in the 1990s. It Mr. Ban tacitly acknowledged this the UN years before someone from the too achieved disappointing results. worry in his address to the AU summit. continent ascended to the world body’s African leaders then decided to take the After 15 years of being led by Africans highest office. At the urging of African initiative. In 2001 they adopted the New (Mr. Annan and his Egyptian predecessor, countries, the UN General Assembly in Boutros Boutros-Ghali), the UN is now 1986 held a special session to find ways see page 20 APRIL 2007 Pact to end use of children in war States vow to ‘spare no effort’ in freeing child soldiers By Ernest Harsch the campaign against recruiting child overnments and armed groups that soldiers has been waged by the UN and recruit children into their military NGOs. G ranks should no longer be allowed But in Paris, for the first time, to “slip through the net,” French Foreign numerous governments signed on to Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told a 5–6 that effort, including a number from February conference in Paris. He warned countries where significant numbers of that such “lost children” represent a time children still serve in military forces. bomb that could threaten stability and The African signers, for example, growth in Africa and beyond. included Burundi, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Mr. Ishmael Beah, a former child sol- the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dier from Sierra Leone, elaborated. If Somalia, Sudan and Uganda. young ex-combatants are not rehabilitated, “States bear the primary respon- he said, they are at risk of becoming mer- sibility” for protecting children and cenaries. “They know how to use a gun. reintegrating them into civilian life, Reuters / Jacky Naegelen [If] there is a conflict next door offering argues the Paris Commitments docu- $100 a day and all you can loot, they will ment. Concretely, doing that includes go back to that.” While rehabilitating child identifying and securing the release of soldiers is not easy, he cited his own expe- all children recruited by armed groups, rience: “I’m living proof that it is possi- “unconditionally at all times, includ- ble.” (See box.) ing during armed conflict.” In other Called the Free Children from War con- words, the act of freeing children from to gain leverage in peace negotiations. ference, the event was organized by the military service should not be dependent In addition, states the document, peace French government and the UN Children’s on a cease-fire or peace agreement, nor agreements must not grant amnesty to Fund (UNICEF). Fifty-eight governments should armed groups be allowed to use commanders or others who have recruited and dozens of non-governmental orga- the presence of children in their ranks or committed other crimes against chil- nizations (NGOs) signed a set of prin- ciples known as the Paris Commitments, The eloquent voice of a former child soldier in which they vowed to “spare no effort to end the unlawful recruitment or use of Ishmael Beah was 12 years old when he was made homeless in 1993 by Sierra Leone’s children by armed forces or groups in all brutal civil war. He was just a year older when he was given drugs and a gun by govern- regions of the world.” ment soldiers and first sent into battle. After three years of fighting — both killing and The UN estimates that about 300,000 being shot at — he was rescued from military service by UNICEF personnel. Sent to a rehabilitation centre, he struggled to regain his humanity. Reentering civilian life was not children (defined as those under 18 years easy, since many in Sierra Leone viewed him and other former combatants with fear and of age) are currently engaged in military suspicion.