Kinshasha — A Catholic parish in the east of Congo has started a successful programme to reinsert former child soldiers in society.

The Congolese Catholic news agency, DIA, spoke with the parish priest of Bunyuka, Fr Jérôme Saytabu, who said the boys "were taken from their families and put in military camps where they suffered all kinds of humiliation. They return seriously traumatised and we are trying to help them."

The parish has already reinserted about a 100 boys, forced to fight for the local Mai Mai militia. Now it is the turn of a group of 50 more, forced to fight with a Ugandan guerrilla group called Nalu, which operates along the Uganda/Congo border.

Last year during an offensive, the boys managed to escape from their captors and return to their villages where they were completely ignored by the local authorities.

Thanks to the parish, the boys took a course in a basic education which enabled them to go on to technical training. Helping the boys to study and find their place in society is no easy task for the volunteers who offer their services. Some of the former military cooperate enthusiastically but others need to be persuaded.