CHARITY RALLY TO HIGHLIGHT PLIGHT OF CHILD SOLDIERS IN UGANDA AND CONGO

By Emma Sword, Community Newswire

POLITICS Rally Leeds, 24 Apr 2009 - 10:30

An international charity is to hold a rally in Leeds on Saturday, as part of a worldwide series of events to raise awareness of the plight of child soldiers in northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Invisible Children, which is seeking to eliminate the abduction and conscription of children, is hosting The Rescue. Supporters will symbolically 'abduct themselves' in order to highlight the 23-year-long conflict led by Joseph Kony and his rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

Joseph Kony is the head of the LRA, a guerrilla group that is engaged in a violent campaign to establish theocratic government in Uganda, which claims to be based on the bible and the 10 commandments.

The LRA, which earned a terrifying reputation for its brutality against the people of northern Uganda, has abducted thousands of children since its rebellion began in 1987.

Invisible Children is calling on governments and international bodies around the world to develop a strategy and support existing efforts to rescue Kony's child soldiers.

So far some 229 people have signed up to take part in the event on Saturday to raise money and awareness for the cause.

The rally will begin at 3pm at City Square - 'the Abduction site' - and see participants march through the city to Victoria Gardens where they will set up the LRA Camp.

They will remain 'abducted' at the camp until a person of political influence or cultural significance arrives and 'rescues' them by making a public statement on behalf of the child soldiers.

Participants have been asked to lobby MPs, mayors as well as celebrities to get involved and come to their rescue.

Simultaneous rallies will also be taking place in 100 cities across 10 countries including the USA, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Uganda.

The UK and Ireland will host five rallies: in Leeds, London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin.

Jason Russell, co-founder of Invisible Children, said: "It's frightening that this war has now grown into an international crisis.

"We need to respond with an international body of activists to increase the visibility of this conflict and end Joseph Kony's reign of terror."

Davy Young, director of Invisible Children in Europe, said: "People around the world have to stand up and take notice of Africa's longest running war that is still destabilising central East Africa.

"When thousands gather for The Rescue on April 25 in 100 cities throughout 10 countries and together speak with one voice and one message they cannot be ignored.

"We're confident that this event will lead to actions to end this war and to rescue the child soldiers.

"Symbolically, we feel it's critically important to stand in solidarity with those child soldiers, abducted and forced to fight against their will as part of the Lord's Resistance Army. We need to increase the visibility of this conflict and end Joseph Kony's terrors."

For more information visit www.invisiblechildren.com/home.php