The “Bunia Children”, and the little boy who only wanted to fly! : Kari Egge

By Kari Egge

Uganda and other African countries sent forces to DRC Congo during the war in the early 2000s. Many rumors were floating in East Africa about illegal export of timber, ivory and diamonds from the DRC, but there was another particular concern for UNICEF at that time. Through our own assessments, we got to know that a number of children had been brought from Bunia in Ituru province in DRC to be trained in military camps in western Uganda. Ugandan military planes had taken the children to the training camps. The case of child soldier trainees was well established and it was not the first time that this happened, but it was the first time that children were flown in from a neighbouring country.

The issue of child soldiers is sensitive and not a popular theme for discussions with government partners anywhere. It was also challenging for Michel Sidibe the UNICEF Representative in Uganda, to find a way to bring it up with the responsible authority, in this the Honourable Minister of the Presidency.

The UNICEF office got support from the Child Protection Section in New York, though Michel also approached some of the UNICEF donors and Ambassadors for moral support. Together they went to see the Honourable Minister at the Presidency to negotiate the children out of the camps. Being a pediatrician by profession and a reasonable person, the minister agreed that the government would release the children on a certain date.

Since the Ugandan forces were not willing to fly the children back to Bunia, UNICEF would have to assist the government to find a suitable place for the children to stay. This was a headache as there were very few places which could provide care and comfort to the children for some period of time. We had no idea how long it would take to reunite the children with their families in Bunia. The war was raging in Ituru and it was impossible to communicate directly with their families from the Ugandan side of the border.

After some considerable search, the local branch of World Vision was willing to set up and run the old refugee camp at Masindi, mid-way between Kampala and Gulu. The camp had not been used for many years and had to be overhauled and equipped for children. It worked out well, with much support from the UNICEF Operations section. When the day for the hand-over approached, we were physically ready to receive the children, but not necessarily mentally. We had not met them and did not know which state of mind they were in.

The Hon. Minister of the Presidency would personally participate in the “hand over” ceremony of the children. We left for the camp in good time, knowing that it would most likely take hours before the Honourable turned up with his entourage. We were right. We had to wait several hours. When he arrived, we were hungry and thirsty. The children were also anxious, though they knew what would happen. They were hanging around where we were placed, clad in military gear and black rubber boots. A few girls, perhaps four, were among them. The youngest child, a 9-year-old boy, came to sit with me. I was the only woman in our small delegation. Since most people in Bunia speak also Swahili, I could engage him in some small talk. It was obvious that he was in the wrong place and that he missed his family and mother. After a while, I asked him what happened that he ended up in Uganda. He told me that when the Ugandan forces were driving around Bunia town with big trucks, rounding up children, he heard them shouting that they were going to fly them to Uganda. “Then I thought, I would also want to fly”! he said. He was obviously missing his mother as he fell asleep on my lap after telling his story.

After some interaction between our team and the Hon. Minister, (helped by the sharing of a piece of Norwegian milk chocolate, which was my emergency supply), he handed over, on behalf of the Government of Uganda, 165 children to UNICEF Uganda. Finally, the Bunia children could leave the training camp and start their transition from soldiers to children in their own right.

The children swiftly climbed into the buses that we had arranged, and were taken to the camp in Masindi. They stayed there for six months, which was the time it took to find their families, with the help of the ICRC, and negotiate their reunification. The ICRC procedures were long and thorough, and the children got anxious that their families did not want to accept them when they came back, or believed they might have been dead. Letters were exchanged with their families, and fortunately, all the children were allowed to come home. Everybody wanted to leave immediately when they received positive answers from home, but it would still take some time before their return flights were arranged with the help of IOM.

Six months is a long time in a child’s life. My little 9-year-old friend grew taller, gained some weight and went to school in Masindi. So did the others. They mingled with their peers from the surrounding villages. However, the Bunia children were rough after growing up in a war zone, and there were concerns that World Vision may not be able to manage the situation. Fortunately, UNICEF had a competent camp coordinator, who would step in to resolve any tensions. Sports and especially football were the most popular activities. The UNICEF office learned a lot from the Bunia Children's  experience, and how demanding it can be to take care of a large crowd of children who had not experienced much in their lives other than war and conflict.

We never got to know whether the children upon their return from Uganda were not immediately enrolled in the military or rebel forces in DRC. The war continued in Ituri and Bunia, which 20 years later are still a conflict zone.

Of all their sad experiences and challenges, the children got at least one positive experience they would never forget. They were allowed to fly a second time, on the day they went on board the small planes which took them home.

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