Children are increasingly being targeted in renewed conflict which has broken out in the Central African Republic, UNICEF warned this week.
The UN Children’s Fund said recent fighting had led to an increasing number of violent acts committed against children, including murders, abductions, rape and recruitment into armed groups. The organisation said the number of atrocities suffered by children was almost certain to be higher than official figures showed.
Christine Muhigana, UNICEF representative in the CAR, said children in the nation “have suffered disproportionately from the waves of violence that have swept the country over the past three years”. “Armed groups and parties to the conflict must cease these flagrant violations of children’s rights and make every effort to keep children safe.”
Documented incidents include the rape of 14 girls aged between nine and 16 in the country’s east during May and June, the killing of five children aged between two and 16 as they attempted to cross a river to seek refuge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May, and the abduction of eight boys aged 13 to 17 during the same month. One of the boys has since been killed and ransoms demanded for the release of the others.
UNICEF said it is also estimated that 94,000 primary school children could not take their end of year exams due to a lack of security while many healthcare centres have been forced to close due to the violence, putting an end to essential care and routine immunisations for children.
