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[16 June 2006] - In Africa like in other regions, physical and psychological violence, abuse and ill-treatment occur against children within families, in schools, in prisons and in institutions. Such acts are rarely reported. The Day of the African Child is an occasion to bring to light the right of all children in Africa to protection from violence. This event has been celebrated on the 16th of June since 1991 and commemorates a 1976 incident in Soweto, South Africa, in which hundreds of persons were killed and injured by the troops of the apartheid regime following a demonstration of black school children protesting the inferior quality of their education. The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) has worked for years for the prevention of violence against children and has particularly promoted the right of children to be protected from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and all forms of violence worldwide, including in Africa. On the occasion of the Day of the African Child, OMCT would like to remind African governments and societies as well as the rest of the world that the right of all children to be protected from violence is not yet a reality for most children. Indeed, as OMCT has reported in urgent interventions and alternative reports to the UN Committees, violence against children occurs in Africa in many contexts. The most common type of violence against children is certainly corporal punishment, which remains legal in many African States, particularly when used at home. It is socially and culturally accepted and thus largely used as a means of discipline in child-rearing. To justify their acts, perpetrators state that children are different and cannot be considered as right holders. This traditional educational method is deemed successful and repeated by parents on their children. The same practice is also reproduced in schools by teachers and, in some cases, is based on religious faith. OMCT considers corporal punishment to be humiliating and a clear violation of children’s rights. All African countries except Somalia have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and should protect children against all forms of violence and abuse as required by article 19 of the Convention. Thanks to pressure by international, regional and local NGOs, a trend towards the legal prohibition of corporal punishment in all situations (at home, in schools, prisons, custody, institutions, etc.) is emerging. However, African countries prohibiting corporal punishment, especially at home, remain the exception. Moreover, even in States where such legislation exists, its implementation is very difficult and must contend with socially accepted behaviours. The legal prohibition of corporal punishment, like of other forms of violence against children, is a necessary step. However, in order effectively to eradicate corporal punishment in all situations, even at home, raising awareness is also essential. In that respect, all the community, children, parents and leaders should jointly act to stop corporal punishment of children. Though also practised outside Africa, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remains one of the most important issues for those combating traditional harmful practices against children in that region. Indeed, the practice of FGM constitutes a serious offence against the physical and psychological integrity of the victims, who are mainly young girls. FGM is often performed without anaesthesia under non-hygienic conditions by untrained practitioners and sometimes leads to infections and fatal or serious health complications for the child. Despite efforts in Africa to enact new legislation regarding FGM, the practice persists in some areas. Moreover, there have been only few successful prosecutions in countries that have outlawed FGM. Pressure still exists on parents to respect this practice, and mothers continue to require it of their daughters. In addition to the communities’ sensitisation, the retraining of FGM practitioners should be integrated as part of the solution to end the practice of FGM. Another significant example of violence against children in Africa is the involvement of children in armed conflict. In that respect, for years, OMCT has launched urgent appeals on the situation in Sudan and has particularly denounced acts of violence such as torture, arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial executions committed against many children. One of the main reasons why such acts of violence (corporal punishment, female genital mutilation, violence in armed conflict) are still happening in Africa in 2006 is because they remain unpunished. For this reason, the African governments and the African Union should act now to stop the vicious cycle of violence against children by ending impunity for perpetrators. Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infodetail.asp?id=8694 Further information