Congolese activist wins World Children's Prize

Congolese children's rights activist Murhabazi Namegabe has won the $100,000 World Children's Prize. The Stockholm-based award foundation, on April 26, cited Murhabazi's “dangerous struggle to free children forced to be child soldiers or sex slaves” in Congo. The foundation says that since 1989, Murhabazi and his organisation BVES have freed 4,000 child soldiers and more than 4,500 girls who had been assaulted by armed groups.

It says the winner was decided in a vote among 3.2 million children worldwide.

Since 1999, the Swedish Children's World Association has awarded the annual World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child for outstanding contributions in defending the rights of children and youth.— AP