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News Stories
The Guardian March 24, 2005 Burundi's warlords are recruiting thousands of child soldiers despite a peace accord which was supposed to end a decade of conflict, according to a report published today by Amnesty International. The central African country's brittle peace could crumble unless children who have been used as porters, informants, "wives" and fighters are demobilised and integrated into civilian life, says the report. A ceasefire between the government and the Forces for the Defence of Democracy, the largest rebel group, has raised hopes of elections and an end to a civil war which has left more than 200,000 dead. But smaller rebel groups are recruiting children to boost their bargaining power and possibly in expectation of full-scale conflict resuming. Re-recruiting demobilised children is not difficult when poverty and unemployment have robbed them of schooling and jobs. "The prospects for a lasting peace will be seriously threatened as those who have known only violence are re-recruited _ or turn to violent crime," the report says. According to the UN, up to 7,000 children need to be demobilised. Others suspect the figure is higher. Amnesty faulted the government as well as rebels for using children as spies. Rory Carroll, Johannesberg.
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© 1999- The Children and Armed Conflict Unit |
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