The situation for children caught in conflict remains "grave and entirely unacceptable" because 58 groups in 13 countries still recruit and use child soldiers, according to a senior U.N. official.
A child soldier with the Congolese Patriotic Union walks through a market in a town in Congo in this file photo.
Children in several countries are also being killed, maimed, abducted and raped and denied access to humanitarian groups.
A child soldier with the Congolese Patriotic Union walks through a market in a town in Congo in this file photo.
Children in several countries are also being killed, maimed, abducted and raped and denied access to humanitarian groups.
There are 58 groups in 13 countries "responsible for the recruitment and use of child soldiers."
The 13 countries where groups that recruit child soldiers operate are Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Myanmar, Nepal, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Colombia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Uganda, according to the report.
16 "persistent violators" have been on a list of groups that perpetrate these crimes for five years and urged the Security Council to "make good on its promise" to take concrete and targeted measures against these offenders.
In 2005, the council passed a resolution establishing a group to monitor and report on countries and groups using child soldiers. Coomaraswamy, the top U.N. envoy on children and armed conflict, said the monitoring has produced results, but that more needed to be done.
Legal action has been taken against recruiters of child soldiers in Congo and there have been several convictions in Sierra Leone, she said.
Ivory Coast has been taken off the list of offenders altogether because of actions it has taken, including the release to UNICEF of about 3,000 child fighters.
"In spite of the impressive progress, I regret to report that the overall situation of children affected by conflict remains grave and entirely unacceptable," Coomaraswamy said.
She urged the Security Council, charged with investigating the use of child soldiers, to expand its focus to other issues affecting youngsters, starting with systematic sexual violence.
_________________
CNN Article, 2/15/08
It hurts me to know that children of God have to suffer every day; sometimes I think that they would be better off dead. It hurts to know that these children are feeling pain and will be feeling pain every day for the rest of their lives. I just don't understand the way the culture is.....
Why, why.... I will never never know or understand.
