15th January, 2013
International child welfare agency UNICEF has called for the "immediate cessation" of the recruitment of child soldiers in the Central African Republic after receiving "credible reports" that rebel groups and pro-government militias were increasingly recruiting and involving children in armed conflict.
In a statement released early this month, the organisation urged all parties to protect children against the harmful impact of an involvement in armed conflict in the country.
Souleymane Diabate, UNICEF’s representative for CAR, says a number of rebel groups and various pro-government militias had "become more active in recent weeks in the capital city of Bangui and across the country".
"Reliable sources have informed us that children are newly being recruited among their ranks. These reports are of serious concern.”
Mr Diabate says UNICEF was working with partners to verify and respond to grave violations of child rights
" Those at greater risk are children who have lost their homes, are separated from their families or were formerly associated with armed groups,” he says.
UNICEF says that even before conflict erupted in the CAR in December, about 2,500 children ” girls and boys ” were associated with armed groups in the country. It says that "while it is impossible to give a precise figure, reports indicate that this number will rise because of the recent and escalating conflict."
The organisation estimates that more than 300,000 children have already been affected by the violence in CAR and its consequences, including through recruitment, family separation, sexual violence, forced displacement and having no or limited access to education and health facilities.
– DAVID ADAMS
