Latest news with #childrecruitment
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Burkina Faso's junta expels top UN official over child rights report
Burkina Faso's junta has expelled the UN's top official to the West African nation over a report about children caught up in the jihadist Flore-Smereczniak was declared "persona non grata" because of her role in drafting the report that came out in a two-year period, the study detailed more than 2,000 cases of reported child recruitment, killings, sexual violence and abuse - blaming Islamist insurgents, government soldiers and civilian defence military government, which came to power in September 2022 and is led by Capt Ibrahim Traoré, said it had not been consulted by the UN, saying the report contained unfounded allegations. It did not cite any documentation "or court rulings to support the alleged cases of violations against children attributed to the valiant Burkinabé fighters", the government's statement 2015, jihadist rebels affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have waged an insurgency that has killed thousands of people and forced millions to flee their has prompted political instability, with two military coups in 2022. Capt Traoré took power promising to deal with the dire security situation within "two to three months". How an al-Qaeda offshoot became one of Africa's deadliest militant groupsWhy Burkina Faso's junta leader has captured hearts around the worldHow 'blood gold' is fuelling conflict in West Africa Ms Flore-Smereczniak was appointed in July 2024 - more than 18 months after her predecessor was Mauritius, she has worked in areas experiencing or recovering from conflict for more than two decades, holding posts in Ivory Coast, Chad and Malawi, according to the UN representative before her, Italian Barbara Manzi, was declared "persona non grata" by the junta in December 2022 not long after publishing a blog post describing how the crisis was affecting education and health services, forcing many to close UN has not yet officially commented on the latest expulsion, but the UN chief had expressed his regret over the decision to expel Ms Manzi whilst reiterating the UN's desire to engage with the junta to support Burkinabé have been concerns over the effectiveness of Capt Traoré's operation to quash the militants - with the junta rejecting the assistance of former colonial power France in favour of the first half of 2025, jihadist group JNIM said it had carried out over 280 attacks in Burkina Faso - double the number for the same period in 2024, according to data verified by the BBCRights groups have also accused the army of targeting civilians as well as suppressing political activity and the freedom of year, the military government announced it was extending junta rule for another five also said that Capt Traoré, who has built up the persona of a pan-Africanist leader, would be allowed to run for president in 2029. You may also be interested in: Burkina Faso outcry over 'conscription used to punish junta critics'Why 'pan-Africanist' influencers pushed rumours of a coupWhy France faces so much anger in West Africa Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
The Independent
12-08-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Takeaways from AP's reporting on armed groups recruiting children in Colombia
When the armed groups that operate in Colombia's drug trade need new recruits, they are increasingly turning to the children of the regions where they are active. Confronting the problem often falls to Indigenous groups, who blame the government for doing too little to stop it. In Cauca, an impoverished department in southwest Colombia, a coalition of Indigenous groups has documented more than 900 cases of Indigenous youth recruited since 2016, including some as young as 9. And the groups say the pace of recruiting has quickened as armed groups have expanded crops like the coca that is used to make cocaine. Here are takeaways from The Associated Press' reporting on the child recruitment: Colombia's violent past is not past Colombia has endured more than half a century of internal conflict that continues today. Leftist guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and criminal groups have fought for control of territory. A 2016 peace deal ended the war with the country's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, but violence never fully stopped. FARC dissident groups rejected the peace process. The ELN, a Marxist guerrilla force active since the 1960s, and the Clan del Golfo, Colombia's largest drug-trafficking gang, are also active. All the groups recruit children. Where the dissidents are active, residents complain that they control everything. A schoolteacher at a village near Caldono, surrounded by dense forest and coca fields planted and patrolled by armed groups, said their presence in and around the school is constant. She described several former students, some as young as 11, now in the groups. One group confronting the recruiting The Indigenous Guard of the Nasa people formed in 2001 to protect Indigenous territories from armed groups and environmental destruction such as deforestation and illegal mining. Since 2020, they've seen armed groups amp up their recruiting of children to coincide with the guerrillas' expanded operations in growing drugs like coca. Guard members have stepped up patrols at schools like the one near Caldono to try to discourage recruiting. But they have also undertaken rescue missions to bring back children. One Guard member, 39-year-old Patricia Elago Zetty, told the AP of trekking across mountainous terrain when her own 13-year-old son went missing three years ago to confront the guerrillas suspected of taking her boy and another teenager. She said she and her unarmed comrades were stopped at gunpoint and spent tense moments before the boys were returned to them. But not all such missions are successful, with some groups refusing to return recruits above a certain age. What is the government doing? Scott Campbell, the United Nations human rights chief in Colombia, said the government's response has been 'ineffective and untimely.' He noted a lack of consistent state presence and failure to partner with Indigenous authorities on prevention. The Indigenous Councils Association of Northern Cauca, or ACIN, said the government has left armed groups to fill the void by providing roads, food and other basic services in remote and neglected areas. Colombia's Family Welfare Institute, or ICBF — the main agency protecting children — said it funds community programs and Indigenous‑led initiatives that have contributed to 251 children leaving armed groups in the first half of 2025. The ICBF insists it is working with Indigenous authorities and pressing armed groups to uphold a ban on recruiting minors. A recruit who fled and now tries to stop others from going One young woman who recently fled FARC dissidents, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said she joined the armed group at 16 not because she was forced but to escape family problems. She said she mainly cooked, organized supplies and cleaned weapons. She was afraid at first but was not mistreated. She eventually fled after a change in commanders left her fearing harsher treatment, or being moved to a faraway region with an increased threat of combat. Now she works with a local initiative that supports families trying to prevent their children from being recruited. She warns teens about the risks of joining armed groups. As for the parents, she said: 'I tell families they need to build trust with their children." ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Washington Post
12-08-2025
- Washington Post
Takeaways from AP's reporting on armed groups recruiting children in Colombia
CALDONO, Colombia — When the armed groups that operate in Colombia's drug trade need new recruits, they are increasingly turning to the children of the regions where they are active. Confronting the problem often falls to Indigenous groups, who blame the government for doing too little to stop it. In Cauca, an impoverished department in southwest Colombia, a coalition of Indigenous groups has documented more than 900 cases of Indigenous youth recruited since 2016, including some as young as 9. And the groups say the pace of recruiting has quickened as armed groups have expanded crops like the coca that is used to make cocaine.
Associated Press
12-08-2025
- Associated Press
Takeaways from AP's reporting on armed groups recruiting children in Colombia
CALDONO, Colombia (AP) — When the armed groups that operate in Colombia's drug trade need new recruits, they are increasingly turning to the children of the regions where they are active. Confronting the problem often falls to Indigenous groups, who blame the government for doing too little to stop it. In Cauca, an impoverished department in southwest Colombia, a coalition of Indigenous groups has documented more than 900 cases of Indigenous youth recruited since 2016, including some as young as 9. And the groups say the pace of recruiting has quickened as armed groups have expanded crops like the coca that is used to make cocaine. Here are takeaways from The Associated Press' reporting on the child recruitment: Colombia's violent past is not pastColombia has endured more than half a century of internal conflict that continues today. Leftist guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and criminal groups have fought for control of territory. A 2016 peace deal ended the war with the country's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, but violence never fully stopped. FARC dissident groups rejected the peace process. The ELN, a Marxist guerrilla force active since the 1960s, and the Clan del Golfo, Colombia's largest drug-trafficking gang, are also active. All the groups recruit children. Where the dissidents are active, residents complain that they control everything. A schoolteacher at a village near Caldono, surrounded by dense forest and coca fields planted and patrolled by armed groups, said their presence in and around the school is constant. She described several former students, some as young as 11, now in the groups. One group confronting the recruiting The Indigenous Guard of the Nasa people formed in 2001 to protect Indigenous territories from armed groups and environmental destruction such as deforestation and illegal mining. Since 2020, they've seen armed groups amp up their recruiting of children to coincide with the guerrillas' expanded operations in growing drugs like coca. Guard members have stepped up patrols at schools like the one near Caldono to try to discourage recruiting. But they have also undertaken rescue missions to bring back children. One Guard member, 39-year-old Patricia Elago Zetty, told the AP of trekking across mountainous terrain when her own 13-year-old son went missing three years ago to confront the guerrillas suspected of taking her boy and another teenager. She said she and her unarmed comrades were stopped at gunpoint and spent tense moments before the boys were returned to them. But not all such missions are successful, with some groups refusing to return recruits above a certain age. What is the government doing?Scott Campbell, the United Nations human rights chief in Colombia, said the government's response has been 'ineffective and untimely.' He noted a lack of consistent state presence and failure to partner with Indigenous authorities on prevention. The Indigenous Councils Association of Northern Cauca, or ACIN, said the government has left armed groups to fill the void by providing roads, food and other basic services in remote and neglected areas. Colombia's Family Welfare Institute, or ICBF — the main agency protecting children — said it funds community programs and Indigenous‑led initiatives that have contributed to 251 children leaving armed groups in the first half of 2025. The ICBF insists it is working with Indigenous authorities and pressing armed groups to uphold a ban on recruiting minors. A recruit who fled and now tries to stop others from going One young woman who recently fled FARC dissidents, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said she joined the armed group at 16 not because she was forced but to escape family problems. She said she mainly cooked, organized supplies and cleaned weapons. She was afraid at first but was not mistreated. She eventually fled after a change in commanders left her fearing harsher treatment, or being moved to a faraway region with an increased threat of combat. Now she works with a local initiative that supports families trying to prevent their children from being recruited. She warns teens about the risks of joining armed groups. As for the parents, she said: 'I tell families they need to build trust with their children.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
The Guardian
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Colombia gangs lure children to join ranks via TikTok, UN warns
Gangs in Colombia are increasingly recruiting children into their ranks, with a notable number coerced over TikTok and Facebook, the United Nations has warned. The UN Human Rights Office in Colombia said it had verified 474 cases of recruitment or use of under-18s between 2022 and 2024, and that the situation was 'worsening in 2025'. In 36 cases children were recruited at school, while recruitment through social networking platforms was of 'grave concern', it said. 'It's horrific, toxic and ugly. Illegal groups are using social media to lure girls and boys into their ranks, which is increasing violence across the country and strengthening narco-trafficking,' said Scott Campbell, Colombia's representative for the UN high commissioner for human rights. Elizabeth Dickinson, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the first contact often comes over social media, with TikTok rife with videos posted by armed groups 'depicting the perks' of the lifestyle. Posts showed 'parties in clubs, designer clothes and heavy weapons', she added. Campbell said the children are promised motorbikes, mobile phones and money, with girls also offered cosmetic surgery. Investigators from the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) said such content spread rapidly, with some posts receiving up to 625,000 views. Campbell criticised social media companies for failing to properly tackle the problem. 'If children were being recruited into illegal groups in London or Silicon Valley, social media companies would be putting huge resources into this,' he said. TikTok and Meta told UN Human Rights they were working with state entities on the issue and removing harmful content. The crisis was only worsening, UN Human Rights said, highlighting that in the first quarter of 2025 it had received 118 allegations of recruitment or use of children, of which it verified 51. Child recruits were a big issue in Colombia's decades-long internal armed conflict, with the JEP reporting that more than 18,000 minors were recruited by the rebel group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Farc, before it demobilised in 2016. The findings come amid an increase in violence across Colombia. In January, clashes between armed groups fighting for control of a region bordering Venezuela led to the displacement of more than 50,000 people, while in June a wave of coordinated bomb and gun attacks killed at least seven people and wounded 50 across the country's south-west. Campbell said child recruitment appeared to be rising as presidential elections approach next year. This month a 15-year-old was charged with the attempted assassination of the presidential candidate Miguel Uribe. Colombian authorities have claimed a criminal organisation was behind the attack. The International Crisis Group recently warned that the rate of child recruitment had reached its highest point in more than a decade. Meanwhile, JEP said that since the final peace agreement was signed with Farc in 2016, a minor had been recruited on average every 48 hours. Many families are too afraid to report their children missing due to fears of reprisals and stigmatisation. In January, when 112 members of the armed 33rd Front turned themselves in, 20 were found to be minors. In another case, after a clash left nearly two dozen fighters dead, a third of those killed were discovered to be under the age of 18.
