China Keitetsi

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China Keitetsi has won international renown as a campaigner for the plight of child-soldiers. The memoirs of Keitetsi, a former child-soldier herself, have been translated in French, German, Japanese, Chinese and many other languages.

[edit] Biography

1976 China Keitetsi was born in the west of Uganda. Without her mother she spends her first years with her father and his new girlfriend.

1984 At the age of nine China runs of with her sister and tries to find her mother. She falls into the hands of the National Resistance Army.

1986 On the 26th of January Kampala falls. Museveni is proclaimed as the new preseident, but Uganda remains haunted by civil war. Several armed groups fight against the new government. China, like many other children recruited by the NRA to fight in the battle against the Obote government, remains in the ranks of the new government's army, the Ugandan People's Defence Forces (UPDF).

1986-1995 Some short returns to civilian life but China Keitetsi spends the most of her time in the new governmental army. She looses many of her friends in battle. Like many other girls in the army she is raped several times by her superior officers.

1995 After spending ten years in the army of Museveni China escapes from the army. China flees with a friend through Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe to South Africa where she applies for refugee status. Four years later, China continues to fear for her safety and seeks help from the Department of Home Affairs. She is referred to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) whereupon she is offered the opportunity to relocate in Denmark.

China Keitetsi now lives in Denmark and has published her memoirs in a book entitled "Child Soldier: Fighting for my life". She has become an international spokeswoman for the plight of child soldiers worldwide.

China's book was published first in Denmark and the Netherlands. In 2003 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as 2002 in South Africa. In the meantime it is also published in England, France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Japan and China .