DAKAR, 10 October 2008 (IRIN) - Sexual exploitation in African schools has become so widespread that children have come up with their own terms to refer to sexual relations with their teachers. 

From ‘Sexually Transmitted Grades’ to ‘BF’, or bordel fatigue, which refers to exhaustion from multiple sexual activities with teachers, this slang hints at the prevalence of exploitation in Africa’s learning environments. 

The lexis of abuse was discovered during research for Plan International’s (PI) latest report, ‘Learn Without Fear,’ part of the organisation’s global campaign to end violence in schools. 

“We’ve been aware of the problem for a long time but we’ve had to just go on anecdotal evidence of violence and its effects,” John Chaloner, PI Regional Director for West and Central Africa, told IRIN. “What this report has done is to talk to children, to teachers and to parents. So now we’re dealing with evidence not hearsay”. 

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Unfortunately this article is filed under "entertainment" on BBC, but I agree that the humanitarian crisis deserves more attention.  I wonder when George Clooney will schedule his visit, since Angelina Jolie and Eve Ensler have already been there?

Actor Ben Affleck has said he made a TV report on the Democratic Republic of Congo because the humanitarian crisis there deserved "our eyes and our ears".

(Enough with the sarcasm, I haven't watched the videos yet and I plan to, and I think more documentaries are a good thing. Each one that comes out will reach a new and different audience. But I do have some cynicism regarding tangible effects of such endeavors. There has been fund raising, to be sure, for places like Panzi Hospital, that provides fistula surgeries to women that have been victims of sexual violence. Can anything be done about the root causes of the conflict, though? Can anyone clearly say what those causes truly are? - I have my theories, but they are too large and institutional to tackle with only a documentary and some Western celebrity.)

There have been allegations in the past of UN peacekeepers sexually assaulting civilians, and it's in the news again.  I'm sure we'll hear more about this in the future.  It's happened in other countries, and the mission in DRC continues its mandate, so I don't think these accusations are over.

Also, IRIN has an analysis of the progress toward peace in the Kivus, and the International Crisis Group has a new report out entitled Congo: Four Priorities for Sustainable Peace in Ituri.  For a taste of the report, check out these recommendations from the executive summary to the gov't of DRC and to MONUC (another fourteen to other parties can be found at the site, full report in French):

RECOMMENDATIONS

Completing the disarmament process and restoring state authority

To the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo:

1.  Concentrate the deployment of FARDC in the strongholds of the Front for National Integration (FNI) and the Patriotic Force of Resistance in Ituri (FRPI) militias and systematically replace it in the rest of the district with national police force officers including residents of Ituri.

2.  Order the military prosecutor to initiate official investigations into the alleged complicity of FARDC officers in the illegal exploitation of natural resources and mining in Ituri.

3.  Initiate a disciplinary investigation into Governor Médard Autsai’s administration of Province Orientale.

To the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC):

4.  Increase tactical and operational support to FARDC in order to facilitate the encirclement of the FRPI militia, limit its capacity for movement and restrict its access to external support.

5.  Create a civilian-military task force, mandated to implement an integrated strategy for finalising the disarmament of the FNI and FRPI militias that combines sensitisation and pressure and enjoys the backing of local community leaders.