Child Soldiers

Kenya Recruits Somali Refugees To Fight Islamists Back Home In Somalia

<p> Letta Tayler and Chris Albin-Lackey </p> — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:54:03 -0800

(Hagadera Refugee Camp, Kenya) For months, 18-year-old Ahmed Abdullahi had dodged the mortar shells that whizz daily through Mogadishu, the war-ravaged capital of Somalia. The one that finally drove him from Somalia tore though his family's house and ripped a cousin to bits, splattering Ahmed with blood and body parts.

Kenya: Stop Recruitment of Somalis in Refugee Camps

Human Rights Watch — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:41:49 -0700

(Nairobi) - The Kenyan government should immediately stop the recruitment of Somalis in refugee camps to fight for an armed force in Somalia, Human Rights Watch said today. Kenyan authorities have directly supported the drive, which has recruited hundreds of Somali men and boys in the sprawling Dadaab refugee camps as well as Kenyan citizens from nearby towns.

UN Envoy’s Term Ends, but Rebels Go On and On

Maria Burnett and Elise Keppler — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:10:59 -0700

The former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano will give his final briefing to the United Nations Security Council on July 15 in his role as the secretary-general's special envoy for the areas of east and central Africa affected by the Lord's Resistance Army and their two-decade campaign of violence.

UN: Punish Abuse of Children in War

Human Rights Watch — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:01:00 -0700

(New York) - The United Nations Security Council should impose sanctions on governments and armed groups for using child soldiers, sexual violence against children, and attacks on schools, and should promote effective prosecution of the commanders responsible, Human Rights Watch said today. The Security Council will hold an open debate on children and armed conflict on Wednesday, April 29, 2009.

Letter from Parents in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to the UN Security Council

Human Rights Watch — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:49:16 -0700

Excellencies,

On behalf of the parents of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, we wish to applaud your attention to the issue of children in armed conflict. We believe that the UN Security Council, and particularly the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, has a crucial role to play in ending the abuses that our children continue to suffer here in eastern Congo.

Taking the Next Step

Human Rights Watch — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:44:07 -0700

For a full decade, the UN Security Council has addressed the severe abuses that children experience in armed conflict. Its response has included a series of six resolutions (1261, 1314, 1379, 1460, 1539, and 1612), the creation of a specialized working group, and the initiation of a monitoring and reporting mechanism on violations against children in armed conflict.

US: Review Cases of Guantanamo Detainees Imprisoned as Juveniles

Human Rights Watch — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:04:25 -0700

(Washington, DC) - The US Department of Justice should expedite the review and provide education and other rehabilitation assistance for five detainees at Guantanamo who have been held there since they were children, Human Rights Watch said today in a

Letter to Attorney General Holder Regarding Guantanamo Detainee Review

Human Rights Watch — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:46:51 -0700

Dear Attorney General Holder,

UN: Send More Troops to DR Congo

Human Rights Watch — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:00:00 -0800

(New York) – The United Nations Security Council should act with urgency to send additional peacekeepers to northern Democratic Republic of Congo, where the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) continues its brutal attacks on civilians, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

UN Secretary-General Pledges to “Stamp Out” Use of Child Soldiers

Human Rights Watch — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:06:39 -0800

Yesterday UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the forced recruitment and use of child soldiers as "one of the most appalling human rights abuses in the world today," and stated that "the entire United Nations system and I are determined to stamp out such abuse."