Congo: Thousands of children miss school due to clashes

By Godfrey Olukya

ARU, Democratic Republic of Congo

The United Nations children's fund (UNICEF) and education officials in central Democratic Republic of Congo’s have said that over 150,000 children are no longer attending school due to clashes between government security organizations and militia.

“The violence has kept at least 150,000 children in the region out of the classroom, while more than 600 primary and secondary schools have been damaged by attacks,'' said a UNICEF statement.

Arthur Badinabi, a school inspector in Kasai, told Anadolu Agency that the education sector has hurt by the clashes in the region.

“Most schools have been closed due to insecurity caused by Kamuina Nsapu. In some villages, most people have run to safer places with their children. Many schools have been destroyed. Teachers have also run away to save their lives,'' he said.

Clashes in the region started last August when the leader of the Kamuina Nsapu group, also called Kamuina Nsapu, was killed by policemen. Since then the militiamen have gone on a rampage, attacking police and the army.

According to the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, over 500 people have been killed and more than a million displaced in Kasai since last August. Some 25,000 people have also fled to neighboring Angola for asylum.