The agency revealed that in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, cases of recruitment and use of children in armed groups, along with killings and mutilations, increased by more than 130 percent between the two periods.
Protect the vulnerable
Gilles Fagninou, UNICEF‘s Regional Director for West and Central Asia, underlined the need to curb the worrying increase.
“Citizens need protection against all forms of violence. Communities embroiled in fighting need protection. Far too many children are affected by serious violations of their rights, including killings, kidnappings and recruitment by armed groups,” he said.
Ensuring the protection of children is crucial, and violent incidents in the central Sahel region must stop if children are to realize their fundamental rights to life under the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and the regional African Charter on the Rights of the Child. Rights and Welfare of Children. the child.
“UNICEF calls on all those involved in the ongoing crisis in the central Sahel to put an end to all forms of violence, murder and abuse of children, in accordance with their obligations under international law,” added Mr Fagninou to it.
Volatile situation
The security situation in the central Sahel remains volatile, with frequent attacks on civilians against a backdrop of political tensions and increasing humanitarian needs. More than 1,180 security incidents were reported between February and April, killing almost 3,400 people.
The dire situation is characterized by the hundreds of deaths in Burkina Faso, with reports that more than 220 civilians, including 56 children, have been killed. killed in attacks reportedly carried out by the army in two villages in one day in late February.
Similarly, in Mali, approximately 110 civilian men traveling in three buses between the towns of Bandiagara and Bankass were kidnapped by armed groups mid April. They have yet to be released.
Serious violations against children
UN Security Councilresolution 1612adopted in 2005, identified six serious violations against children: recruitment and use of child soldiers, murder and mutilation, sexual violence, kidnapping, attacks on schools or hospitals and denial of access for humanitarian organizations.
By highlighting these violations, the resolution sought to galvanize global efforts to protect children in conflict zones and alleviate the devastating impact of war on young lives.