Five years after the civil war in Cote d‘Ivoire, the UN is urging political actors to give due attention to the needs of children. The continued sustenance of the culture of impunity for those who commit crimes against children that gained prominence during the rebellion is harmful to the growth and peace of the nation.  In July 2005, the UN Security Council approved Resolution 1612 to monitor the situation of children in a number of countries affected by conflict – including Côte d’Ivoire – and to impose sanctions on violators. Together with other UN agencies in Côte d’Ivoire, UNICEF established a viable Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) in the application of the resolution.

As Zimbabweans continue to suffer from severe food shortages and an inflation rate of over 7,500%, one man has openly denounced the government for inflicting such a crisis upon its civilians. Archbishop Pius Ncube is one of very few who have taken a stand against President Robert Mugabe, calling for street protests and political intervention to force him from power. As a result, Mugabe has charged Ncube with having an affair with a married woman in his parish, hoping to tarnish the Archbishop’s name as a critic of the Zimbabwean government. Now, Ncube has the strength of nine Zimbabwean Catholic Bishops behind him.