The Nation Newspaper

Tag: child soldiers

  • A spiritual coalition takes on violence against kids

    A spiritual coalition takes on violence against kids

    From child soldiers to sex slaves and forced labourers, minors have long suffered in the hands of unscrupulous individuals. That is why a group of churches has started a campaign in Gombe State to stop the violence, reports VINCENT OHONBAMU

    t is not a pretty picture. Children are manipulated or forced by some cold-hearted individuals to pick up guns and fight on the frontline. Some are bought. They spend a length of time satisfying the unwholesome sexual appetite of their buyers. Others are simply purchased to do hard work, and cannot say they are tired, hungry or want to go to school.

    This is violence against children or VAC. A coalition of churches under the aegis of Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) cannot endure it anymore.

    They are appealing to the government and virtually everyone else to help fight the vice and save children from those who manipulate and abuse them. CCN is calling on governments to scale up their priorities on children, rather than pay them lip service or push them to the background.

    The National President of CCN, Reverend Fubara Fubara-Manuel spoke in Gombe while presenting the council’s reasons for taking on violence against children in Nigeria.

    “We regret this as Christians and affirm, rather, that care for these children is no mere addition to our creeds, but an essential dimension to our being and calling as people of God,” said Fubara-Manuel who was represented by the state chairman of CCN, VenerableAmos Chijioke.

    He condemned extremists who in the name of religion use children for suicide missions, or as sex slaves, or force them into early  marriage, or sell them.

    Venerable Chijioke said the state campaign would be pioneered from Balanga and Kwami local government areas before moving up to other places.

    He said the world is full of shameless people who rape infants and children, adding that parents too are at fault for not making sufficient arrangements for the girl-child.

    Chijioke bemoaned policies that tend to give men a false sense of superiority over women and children, leading men to discriminate against women on the basis of gender. He said such mindsets are no longer tolerable.

    “It is in this context,” he said, “that we have come together as Christians to sensitise on the evil of VAC and do all in our power to end it.”

    The week-long activities which began with a press conference include, also featured an advocacy visit community leaders in Kwami Local Government Area, a workshop for church denominational leaders, rally in Gombe metropolis, workshop at Talasse in Balanga council and in Gelengu in Balanga local government. There was also a sermon in a church.

    CCN comprises 14 denominations of churches, seven of which in Gombe.

     

  • Nepal arrests 144 ex-child soldiers

    Nepal arrests 144 ex-child soldiers

    The Police in Nepal, on Tuesday, arrested 144 ex-Maoist child soldiers following protests at the headquarters of their former party, a spokesman for Kathmandu police office, has said.

    The spokesman, Pradhumna Karki said that about 144 former child soldiers took control of the hilltop office in Kathmandu after a two-day national assembly.

    “They were arrested and held in four different areas in Kathmandu.

    “Half of them are women and most of them have been arrested with their children but we do not know the exact number of children,’’ Karki said.

    About 300 young men and women who fought against state security forces during the country’s 10-year insurgency had padlocked the headquarters on Monday, demanding compensation for retired combatants.

    Lenin Bista, president of Disqualified Former Fighters’ Central Struggle Committee, said they would continue to fight for equal treatment from the government.

    “We spent the whole night at the headquarters and protested against the Maoist party and the government.

    “Security forces were stationed outside the office, but today they entered into the office and arrested us,” Bista told newsmen.

    On Monday, about 300 ex-child soldiers including 70 women and 40 children had gathered at the four-storey building, which houses the ruling Maoist party.

    In 2012, hundreds of former child soldiers camped outside the headquarters for two months.

    The standoff ended only after a deal was reached with the government which pledged to pay them 200,000 Nepali rupees (1,873 dollars).

    An estimated 4,000 child soldiers were disbanded from UN camps in 2009 after officials found them to be underage recruits.

    Over 16,000 people were killed in the civil war which ended in 2006 after a peace accord.

  • CAR groups ‘agree to free’ child soldiers

    Armed groups in the Central African Republic have agreed to release all child soldiers and children associated with their forces, who may be used as cooks or messengers or for sexual purposes, the United Nations’ children’s agency, UNICEF, said on Tuesday.

    The agreement, signed during a week-long national reconciliation forum in Bangui, covers an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 children currently associated with the armed factions, who also agreed to end any new child recruitment, Reuters reports.

  • Troops capture child soldiers fighting for Boko Haram

    Troops capture child soldiers fighting for Boko Haram

    Some suspected foreign mercenaries and child soldiers were among Boko Haram fighters who attacked some towns and villages in Adamawa State, sources said yesterday.

    The mercenaries are said to be “fair” in complexion and do not look like Nigerians.

    Some of the child soldiers have been captured by troops.

    The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday said Mubi, the second largest town in Adamawa State, has not been attacked by Boko Haram insurgents.

    Mubi was said to be “highly” fortified as at the time of filing this report.

    More troops were, however, mobilised from three formations of the Army to flush out the insurgents from Adamawa.

    Troops and those displaced in Bama, Gwoza,  Madagali, Michika, Marte, Gulak and Mubi have seen the mercenaries and child soldiers.

    It is not yet clear where the mercenaries  came from.

    It was gathered that troops have captured some child soldiers during successful encounters with Boko Haram.

    A source said the captured child soldiers were being interrogated.

    “These claims are already being investigated by the military and security agencies in order to ascertain whether they are from neighbouring countries or they were drawn from the pool of Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb(AQIM),” the source said, adding:

    “So, you need to appreciate the large scale dimension which the war the troops are waging against the insurgents has taken.

    “There will be a lot of intelligence gathering on the discovery in order to ascertain those behind these insurgents and sources of their arms and back-up.”

    More than 500 troops from Nigerian Army formations in three states were yesterday drafted to Adamawa State to flush out the insurgents who have held on to Gulak, Michika, and Kirchinga, among others.

    “Very soon, all the seized towns will be liberated and normal business activities restored to these areas”,  a source said, pleading not to be named as he is not allowed to talk to the media.

    The source also admitted that Mubi had been heavily fortified to repel insurgents from the commercial town and its environs.

    The DHQ in a terse statement, simply said the situation was calm in Mubi.

    The statement on Twitter said: “Mubi has not been attacked. Troops are still on Patrol. Deployment positions in and around the town keeping watch. Situation is calm.”

    On the situation in Bama and Gwoza, a military source added: “We have sustained aerial strikes in these areas to clear the towns of any trace of insurgents.

    “We are winning the battle but the insurgents are good at propaganda; they are making Nigerians to believe that the military is losing. The truth will soon be out.”

    The commandant  of Adamawa Internally Displaced Persons Camp, Mr Abdulmumini Jauro, said yesterday that no fewer than 1,300 Internally Displaced Persons had been registered.

    Jauro spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria at the Bajabure refugee camp in Girei Local Government Area.

    The commandant, who is a member of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, said nine expectant  women were among the IDPs.

    “We have so far registered over 1,300 Internally Displaced Persons who escaped from insurgent attacks in Madagali, Michika and Mubi North and South Local Government Areas of the state,” Jauro said.

    Among the refugees are 162 students of the Federal Polytechnic and the Adamawa State University, Mubi, who hail from Taraba State.

    He said 360 were women and 175 children.

    The commandant said two women had given birth and that both mothers and the babies were in good health.

    He thanked individuals and organisations for their massive assistance to the refugees.

    Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Prof. Abdullahi Liman Turkur, who visited the camp, directed that displaced children in the camp be accommodated in  the Federal Government Colleges, pending the return of normalcy.

    It was gathered that local hunters in Adamawa State have attacked and killed some members of the Boko Haram in Madagali and Michika local governments areas. Unconfirmed reports indicated that 75 members of the sect were gunned down.

    The insurgents were said to have been retreating having run out of ammunition.