[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 99 (Friday, June 16, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1279-E1280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD

                                 ______


                          HON. DONALD M. PAYNE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 16, 1995

  Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise to note that this day, 
the 16th day of June, has been declared the ``Day of the African 
Child'' by the Organization of African Unity.
  Founded in memory of the uprising and massacre of school children in 
Soweto, South Africa, it is a day that we pause to remember the plight 
of children all over Africa, and what we as citizens and legislators 
can do to create a better environment for them. It is a day that 
provides us with a forum to celebrate the achievements Africa has 
attained in meeting the needs of its children, and provides us with the 
opportunity to renew our commitment to providing greater resources to 
aid in this struggle.
  In light of the recent defeat of the Hastings amendment to the 
foreign aid reauthorization bill regarding the restoration of the $802 
million level for the Development Fund for Africa, we need to remind 
ourselves of the impact of this important part of our foreign aid bill 
that provided funds to help the malnourished, the illiterate and 
impoverished.
  Through foreign aid provided by America and other countries:
  The death rate of children under five has been halved since 1960.
  
[[Page E1280]]

  African governments provided safe water and adequate sanitation to an 
additional 120 million people during the 1980's and now over 80 percent 
of the children living in urban areas have access to safe water and 
adequate sanitation.
  African girls face many obstacles in obtaining an education but now 
approximately 69 percent of African girls are enrolled in primary 
school, up from 44 percent in the 1970's.
  While there has been progress over the last three decades, there were 
several setbacks in the 1980's, such as a falling off of school 
enrollment by 7 percent.
  This setback has been largely caused by the increasing civil wars 
with Africa. Armed conflict continues to afflict sub-Saharan Africa 
where fighting persists in Sudan, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The 
potential for renewed outbreaks in Rwanda, Burundi, and Somalia is 
high, and other countries like Zaire and Nigeria, are at risk. Most of 
the nations where these wars occur have been victims of our former cold 
war policy.
  The condition that these countries find themselves in today is 
largely due to our policy of containment of communism in the cold war 
days. As proper as that may have been during that period, the truth is 
these countries are suffering today because of the divisions this 
policy created in their societies.
  Children of Africa have suffered due to this policy and this should 
concern the American people so that we strive harder to right these 
wrongs.
  It is important that this year's Day of the African Child campaign 
will explore the theme of children in armed conflict. A study 
commissioned by UNICEF found that 75 percent of the children 
interviewed in Rwanda had seen mass killings in many areas. Moreover, 
in several African countries, boys as young as 11 years old have been 
recruited into military training.
  The recent war in Rwanda is only one example of the atrocities 
committed where children have been the greatest victims. Thousands have 
been killed in the most brutal way by hacking away arms and limbs. On 
June 14 of last year, militia members of the majority Hutu tribe 
abducted up to 40 children of the minority Tutsis from a church complex 
in the government-held part of the Rwandan capital. The militia headed 
them off to almost certain death.
  Enormous strides have been made in providing basic services for 
children caught in conflict. I was proud of the pharmaceutical 
industries in the New Jersey and New York area that responded to my 
call to help the children of Somalia through providing quality drugs 
through UNICEF.
  On this now fifth annual Day of the African Child, please think of 
the children in each of the 56 countries of Africa and help in your own 
personal way to continue this good work.
  Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

                          ____________________