How 10,000 children are fighting alongside armed groups in Central African Republic

Even after reaching a peace deal in 2019, around 10,000 children are still fighting alongside armed groups in Central African Republic. According to a recent statement by Marthe Kirima, the Minister for Family and Gender, children are still being recruited as fighters, spies, messengers, cooks and even used as sex slaves. While 15,000 children have escaped from rebel forces, she said, many are traumatised and find it difficult to return to normal life. What is known about their recruitment and exploitation as well as calls for an accelerated peace process. Fighting continues Recruitment of children into armed groups remains a significant concern in the CAR, with children often forced to engage in violent conflicts, putting their lives and well-being at risk. Along with this, they are also subjected to physical and psychological abuse, witness traumatic events, and be deprived of education and other essential opportunities for growth and development. The mineral-rich but impoverished nation has had conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power and forced then-President Francois Bozize from office. Mostly Christian militias fought back, also targeting civilians. The United Nations, which has a peacekeeping mission in the country, estimates the fighting has killed thousands and displaced over a million people, or one-fifth of the population. In 2019, a peace deal was reached between the government and 14 armed groups, but fighting continues. Peace keeping efforts Taking responsibility to address the issue, the United Nations (UN) has established a peace keeping mission in the CAR. The United Nations is making an effort to keep kids out of the military and to help those who have been released back into society. Several training programmes have been implemented to provide former child soldiers with vocational skills such as mechanics, masons, carpenters, and other professions, allowing them to earn a living and positively impact their communities. Children’s personal accounts Some former child soldiers told The Associated Press that their harrowing experiences had pushed them to become peace ambassadors. “I took up arms because Seleka killed by mother and father,” said Arsene, who insisted on only his first name due to the sensitivity of the situation. He said a Christian rebel group recruited him when he was 14. After three years of fighting, he now tells young people not to join rebel groups. Ousmane, another former child soldier, said that joining the rebels ruined his life and that of those around him. “What we did is indescribable,” he said. The Dany Ngarasso Foundation, a local civil society group, called on the government to accelerate the peace process to protect child soldiers. “They may have fought yesterday, but they can still campaign for peace today,” foundation head Ngarasso said. Urgency for peace Local civil society organisations, including the Dany Ngarasso Foundation, have urged the government to expedite the peace process in order to protect the well-being of child soldiers, as reported by One India. Ngarasso, the foundation’s director, emphasised the potential for former child soldiers to become peace advocates, despite their previous involvement in conflicts. The Central African Republic can work towards a more peaceful and stable future by accelerating the peace process and providing comprehensive support for the reintegration of former child soldiers. The continued involvement of children in armed conflicts in the Central African Republic is a pressing humanitarian issue. Despite the 2019 peace agreement, significant efforts are needed to address child recruitment and exploitation. The CAR can work towards a future in which children are safe from violence and can thrive in a peaceful environment by implementing effective prevention strategies, providing reintegration assistance, and accelerating the peace process.  With inputs from AP