child soldiers

Mon
29
Feb
2016
New translation available
Submitted by hannah

ElPais.com.co

On Wednesday the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas...

Thu
23
Feb

Nigeria: Boko Haram - 2,000 Children Recruited Used As Child Soldiers - Unicef

According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Nigeria's Boko Haram militants recruited about 2,000 children in 2016 and used them as child soldiers.

As world leaders gathered in Paris for a conference on the protection of children in armed conflict, UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake said "nearly 2,000 children were recruited by Boko Haram, in Nigeria and neighbouring countries, last year alone, and there have been nearly 1,500 cases of child recruitment in Yemen since the conflict escalated in March 2015." 

The UNICEF chief said according to estimates there are tens of thousands under the age of 18 being used in conflicts worldwide today.

Thu
12
Jan

Disgruntled ex-Maoist child soldiers padlock party office

Former Maoist child soldiers, discontent with the party for discarding them unceremoniously during the peace process, padlocked the CPN (Maoist Centre) office on Monday demanding their proper rehabilitation. Seven Maoist leaders were still trapped in the office as the Post went to press.

 

Read more at the Kathmandu Post...

Photo: PRAKASH CHANDRA TIMILSENA

 

 

Thu
12
Jan

Underage Soldiers in German Military at Record Highs

According to a new report published in Die Welt, the German military recruited a record number of underage soldiers last year. Despite efforts from Germany’s Die Linke (Left Party) to end underage recruitments, the military has come back saying everything is being done in accordance with the law.

Read the full story on German Pulse...

Wed
11
Jan

UK: Veterans warn young people about ‘traumatic’ army training

Army training is ‘traumatic’ for young recruits and damages the adolescent mind, according to British infantry veteran Wayne Sharrocks, who features in a series of short films released this week by Child Soldiers International. The films offer young people and their parents a frank alternative to army recruitment materials which, say many veterans, present a sanitised and unrealistic impression of military life. In particular, Wayne Sharrocks wants young people to know that the psychological effects of training can be harmful and permanent.

Wed
04
Jan

South Sudan: More than 17,000 children used in conflict since 2013

Three years after fighting first erupted in South Sudan, children continue to be recruited by armed forces and armed groups, with 1,300 children recruited in 2016, UNICEF said today. This brings to more than 17,000 the total number of children used in the conflict since 2013.

“Since the first day of this conflict, children have been the ones most devastatingly affected by the violations,” said UNICEF’s Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Leila Gharagozloo-Pakkala.

Read more here.

This article is a news note by UNICEF first published on 15 December 2016.

Wed
07
Dec

Ex-child soldier Dominic Ongwen appears before the International Criminal Court

A former militia leader from northern Uganda has denied committing war crimes including rape and murder, on the opening day of his trial at the international criminal court at The Hague, saying that as a child soldier taken by force from his home by the organisation he was a victim of its atrocities, not a perpetrator.

Dominic Ongwen, once a feared commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army, told judges in a dramatic outburst that he was “one of the people against whom the LRA committed atrocities”. He said: “In the name of God, I deny all these charges.”

Sat
19
Nov

UK: Militarising Childhood

By Dr. Victoria M. Basham 

Since the late 2000s, successive British governments have put considerable resources into promoting greater recognition and support for the UK Armed Forces. The targeting of children has been integral to this. From the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) recommendation that its ‘Armed Forces Days’ take place on Saturdays so that school children can more easily attend, to military provision of activities for classrooms, enhancing positive associations with the military, specifically among children, has been an aim from the outset.

Sun
30
Oct

At least 30 children abducted by rebels in South Sudan - report

News24

At least 30 children from two different schools in Amadi have been abducted by a rebel group linked to ousted South Sudan's vice president Riek Machar, a report said on Friday.

According to BBC, Amadi state governor Joseph Ngere said that around 150 rebels from the SPLM-IO group  attacked the  two schools early this week. He was, however, only made aware of the attack on Wednesday.

Ngere said that at least 300 children were at the two schools and many fled into the bushes. However, Machar's spokesperson Andrew Kuong denied the claims. "Our rules and regulation do not allow anything like that," Kuong was quoted as saying.

Thu
27
Oct

South Sudan: 145 child soldiers released - Unicef

Some 145 child soldiers fighting for two rebel groups in South Sudan have been released, Unicef has announced.

The children were recruited by the Cobra Faction and the SPLA In Opposition, two armed groups which have been fighting the government.

They were freed in the eastern region of Pibor and "disarmed and provided with civilian clothes," Unicef said in a statement.

About 16,000 children are still in "armed groups", it says.

Read the full article here.

This is an article which appears on BBC News.

Photo: Credits: Pierre Holtz | UNICEF CAR | www.hdptcar.net

Wed
26
Oct

Webinar: Countering the Militarisation of Youth: Examples of Resistance

Young peoples' experiences of the military, and exposure to militarist values, differ around the world. In this webinar, we gathered examples of everyday militarism from two countries, Israel and Germany, and discussed with activists about their strategies and campaigns to counter it.

Webinar: Countering the Militarisation of Youth: Examples of Resistance

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