(Rapaport…July 17, 2001) Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) handed over 107 children on July 16 to UN officials. Most of them had been abducted, and five were child soldiers forced to fight alongside the rebels.
Of the children released, 62 were girls, ages 13 to 17, who were turned over to the UN with their 45 babies. They were taken to an interim child care center run by CARITAS-Makeni.
“They generally look healthy, but many of the 45 dependents were malnourished,” said UN senior child protection advisor Bituin Gonzales.
The RUF pledged that additional girls would be turned over in coming weeks. The total number of children handed over by the RUF to the UN since May 25 is now 1,170.