A new report on child soldiers in Africa has found that more than 120,000 children under 18 years of age are being used as soldiers across the continent. Some of these children are no more than 7 years of age.
What continents had reports of child soldiers?
As of 2017, the UN listed that seven out of fourteen countries recruiting and using child soldiers in state forces or armed groups were in Africa : Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan.
Which country has child soldiers?
The Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Syria and Yemen currently have the largest number of child soldiers.
How many countries in Asia have child soldiers?
The UN has identified 14 countries where children have been widely used as soldiers. These countries are Afghanistan, Colombia, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
What countries use child soldiers in 2020?
The most violations in 2020 were committed in Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen . It verified that 8,521 children were used as soldiers last year, while another 2,674 children were killed and 5,748 injured in various conflicts.
Why do child soldiers fight?
These boys and girls, some as young as 8 years old, serve in government forces and armed opposition groups. They may fight on the front lines , participate in suicide missions, and act as spies, messengers, or lookouts. Girls may be forced into sexual slavery.
What are child soldiers called?
Often referred to as “child soldiers,” these boys and girls suffer extensive forms of exploitation and abuse that are not fully captured by that term. Warring parties use children not only as fighters, but as scouts, cooks, porters, guards, messengers and more.
Can you shoot a child soldier?
The fact that a child soldier can be a combatant or a civilian taking direct part in hostilities implies that this child soldier can be directly targeted . The conclusion that it is lawful to directly target child soldiers does not necessarily entail that it is lawful to target them as if they were adult soldiers.
Are child soldiers illegal?
Recruiting and using children under the age of 15 as soldiers is prohibited under international humanitarian law – treaty and custom – and is defined as a war crime by the International Criminal Court.
How many child soldiers are there in the world 2020?
More than 8,500 children used as soldiers in 2020: U.N. Reuters.
How many child soldiers are there?
How many child soldiers are there? There are an estimated 250,000 child soldiers in the world today in at least 20 countries. About 40% of child soldiers are girls, who are often used as sex slaves and taken as “wives” by male fighters.
What is the youngest child soldier?
The youngest known soldier of World War I was Momčilo Gavrić , who joined the 6th Artillery Division of the Serbian Army at the age of 8, after Austro-Hungarian troops in August 1914 killed his parents, grandmother, and seven of his siblings.
Does India use child soldiers?
According to the 1972 National Service Act, certain people may be called to perform national service but no minimum age is specified. However, there is currently no conscription in India . Recruitment into the armed forces is regulated by the Air Force Act, No. 45 of 1950, the Army Act, No.
Does America have child soldiers?
The United States remains one of the few nations which recruits and enlists minors into the military . ... However, the United States has refused to sign. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), codified as federal law at 10 U.S.C., allows the recruitment of 17-year-old children.
Are there child soldiers in Africa?
According to some estimates, up to 40% of child soldiers are in Africa . Eastern DRC has amongst the highest numbers of child soldiers in Africa and the world. While there is no precise data, thousands of boys and girls have been actively recruited or conscripted, accounting for up to 60% of militia forces.
What is the UN doing to stop child soldiers?
Mainstreaming child protection within the mission
Child protection mainstreaming is an approach aimed at integrating the protection of children in armed conflict into all aspects of United Nations peacekeeping operations, including strategies, policies, training, and other activities.
