Bamako/Dakar — Children are playing a major role in the Islamists' war effort, say eye-witnesses and human rights groups, who report children are taking an active part in fighting, patrolling, scouting combat zones, and staffing checkpoints.
Oumar Diakité, a resident of Konna in Mopti Region, central Mali, which Islamist groups tried to capture on 11 January prompting intervention by French forces, told IRIN: "Young children have been recruited. These children are sent on scouting missions to collect intelligence... And during clashes, they put these children - often just Koranic students - into the front line." Konna has still not been recaptured, according to French military sources.
Children have been seen staffing checkpoints in areas that came under aerial bombardment from French forces, according to a 15 January Human Rights Watch (HRW) communiqué.
Diakité told IRIN: "They [recruiters] make them believe that if they die they'll go straight to paradise because they are defending God's will. I know a woman who had her son in the ranks. Luckily we were able to find him and save him just in time."
In and around the northern city of Gao the mothers of children who were recruited have been trying to find their children, said residents.
Ibrahim Ag Idbaltanat, director of Malian human rights group TEMEDT, told IRIN back in October 2012 that lots of children in the north were being recruited through Koranic schools, where they were taught how to prepare and dismantle an AK-47.
"These children have no business in being recruited," HRW's senior West Africa researcher, Corinne Dufka, told IRIN. "They should immediately be let go so they can return to their families."
HRW says children as young as 12 have been seen taking active part in fighting, many of them carrying AK-47s or hunting rifles. According to them, Islamic groups Ansar Dine, Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, have recruited, trained and used several hundred children in their forces since April 2012.
Recruitment ramped up a couple of months ago, said Dufka.
In late 2012 children were also joining military training camps in southern Mali, some of them run by retired Malian soldiers, where they prepared to fight Islamist groups in the north. Information is scarce but human rights groups say these militia have not yet been mobilised to fight.
Wounded children in Gao hospital
Children have been seen fighting in Konna - many of them sent from Gao; and manning checkpoints in Douentza, Boré and Gao. Their ages range from 11 to 16. A bus passenger told IRIN: "There were so many children among MUJAO. In Boré it was the children who came into our bus to ask for our papers and check our luggage... and in Douentza there must have been 10 of them under 18, the youngest was about 11."
Witnesses in Gao hospital told HRW they had seen wounded children there receiving treatment. HRW has also received reports of children being removed from hospitals to be treated in Islamist camps
"These Islamist groups have no business recruiting children into their ranks, much less putting them on the front line," said Dufka.
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. ]
Comments Post a comment
THE WEST HAS NO BUSINESSBOMBING N ARICA THEY JUST BOMBED COTE
THE WEST HAS NO BUSINESS BOMBING IN ARICA! THEY JUST BOMBED COTE d' IVOIRE LIBYA NOW MALI??? THIS LOOKS LIKE A FRANCOFONE INVASION BY FRANCE TO RECOLONISE ITS FORMER COLONIES ". I SAY TO ALL FRANCOFONE STATES WHY WERENT YOU AT THE AFRICAN UNIUON HEADQUARTERS' WHEN YOU HAVE OR IS IS IN NEED OF SUCH URGETNT MECHANISMS???? THE AFRICAN UNION IS A PLACE OF REFUGE' ITS OUR PERMANENT "HOUSE OF FREE- WIZE AFRICAN REVOLUTIONARRIES ".... "THIS IS WHERE ALL THE REPSRESENTATIVES SIT DOWN TO DECIDE THE BEST AND MOST INTRELLIGENT WAY FORWARD!!! AFRICANS ARE WATCHING AS THE SO CALLED MID EAST IS ON FIRE WITH DEATHS DAILY MOUNTAINS OF DEATH AMND THE WEST CONTIUES TO SAY NO DIALOGUE WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE OUR CHILDREN BECOPMMING SOLDIERS BEFORE THIER TIMES MURDEREER4S NOT KNOWING CHILD HOOD FACING DEATH AT ANY TIME!!! IS THIS WAHT WE AS AFRICANS WANT OR THIS THIS WAHT THE WEST IS FORCING US TO ACCPET!!! LOOK HOW QUYICKLY THE ARE ARLLYING AROUND FRANCE LIKE VAMPIRES WAITING FOR THIER PORTION OF BLOOD!"!! THE WEST KNEW FROM EARLY OUT THAT THERE WERE CHILDREN BEING RECRUITED YET THEY PERSISTED WITH THIS WAR OF AGGRESSION ; A I SAID EARLIER HGOLLANDE IS LOOKING OFR RECOGNITION IN THE HISTORY BOOKS. THES PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR FAME USING ALL SORTS OF TWIST TO ENERGISE AND MIS USE THE TECHNOLGIES THEY HAVE STOLEN OUT OF AFRICA. WHIULE WE SIT IN AFRICA IN ABJECT POVERTY DUE TO MISEDUCATION WE ARE SITTING ON TONNES OF GOLD DIAMONDS PLATNIUM AND MUCH MORE. THESE WESTERNERS WHOM ARE FORCING THEMSELVE SINTO MALI ARE LOOKING FOR RESOURCES THEY ARE HERE TO STEAL PLUNDER. THIS IS AN OPPPORUNITY FOR THESE MEN TO COME BACK INTO AFRICA WITH MORE MECHANISED TOOLS WHICH THEY HAVE LEARNED FROM ALL THE BOOKS AND SCRIPTS THEY STOLE FORM OMBS FROMTEMPLES PALACES THEY AHVE RAIDED AFRICA THEY HAVE PILLAGED PLUNDERED AND LEFT US FOR DEAD. IF AFRICANS DO NOT WAKE UP AND SLWO HESE AGGRESORS DOWN WE WILL EB ANOTHER AFGHANISTAN AND WE WILL BE LEFT WITH WARS THRUOUGH OUT WEST AND NORTH AFRICA THAT WILL EVENTUALLU COMNSUME ALL AFRICA WHICH IS WHAT THESE EUROEPANS ARE TRYING TO DO. THEY WANT TO HOLD ON TO RESOURCES WITH THIER ARMIES CONTROLNG THE MOST VALUABEL; SIGHTS. AFRICANS AHAVE BEEN ALREADFYS ELLING OUT AFRICA TOT HESE FELONS THESE CRIMINALS THEY HAVE USA SPECAILFORCES ALREDAY SUPPL;YING FRANCE WITH INFORMATION ON THE GROUND HOW IS THAT POSIBLE ???? UNLESS THEY ARE IN THE AREA FROM A EARLIER DATE. AFRICAN LEADERS ARE PLAYING FROM THE BACK THEY WQERE RIGHT WHEN THEY KILLED MURDERED GHADAFFI THEY MURDERED THE HEAD AS THEY THE WEST FEELS THEY CAN TAKE AFRICA AT WILL. NO ON ESTOOD UP FOR LIBYAS GADADFFI NO NATIONS STOOD FOR THEIR TRUE LEADER, EVERY OTHER AFRICAN LEADER IS A COWARD HE CAN ONLY KILL BLACK PEOPLE HE IS AFRAID OF WHITES. ALL THESE LEADERS WILL STAND UP WITH TROOPS TO FIGHT THEMSELVES BUT NOT WHITE AGGRESSION WHICH IS WHAT IS GOING ON IN MALI. THEY ARE SENDING IN REINOFRCEMENST SO THEY CAN OCCUPY BAMAKO AND PRETEND TO TRAIN . LOOK AT AFGHANISTAN THIER TRIANING IS SO POOR THAT THE TALIBAN WILL BE BACK NEXT YEAR FOR SURE. THESE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO MAKE UP THIS MASSIVE LINK OF AL-QAUEDA BUT THERE ARE MANY WHO MIGHT SYMPATHISE BUT IT IS NO WHERE WHAT THESEW GUYS ARE PRETENDING THEY ARE AGGRESIVED EUROPEANS LOOKING TO REHOLD OCCUPY AFRICAN LANDSA!!!! THAT IS WHER WE ARE TODAY!!!! OPEN EYES BRIGHJTLY. WHY ARE NT THESE GUYS TALKING TO THE AU????? IT IS THE SAME DISRESPECT THE SAME AGGRESSION AND NO RESPECT FOR BLACK PEOPLE!!! BLACK PEOPLE IN NUMBERS DO NOT HAVE RESPECT FOR THEMSELKVES. THEY DO NOT TRUST THAT THEIR ELDERS THIER FORFATHER SIS HGERE WITH US TO GUIDE US THRU THE CRANAGE THAT THESE WHITES WANT TO PARTAKE IN!!! THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE BEEN HERE BUT THIS WILL BE THEIR LAST TIME".... "AFRICA IS FOR AFRICANS" "ONE AIM ONE HEART ONE LOVE ONE DESTINY"
THE WEST HAS NO BUSINESS BOMBING IN ARICA! THEY JUST BOMBED COTE d' IVOIRE LIBYA NOW MALI??? THIS LOOKS LIKE A FRANCOFONE INVASION BY FRANCE TO RECOLONISE ITS FORMER COLONIES ". I SAY TO ALL FRANCOFONE STATES WHY WERENT YOU AT THE AFRICAN UNIUON HEADQUARTERS' WHEN YOU HAVE OR IS IS IN NEED OF SUCH URGETNT MECHANISMS????" THE AFRICAN UNION 'IS A PLACE OF REFUGE' ITS OUR PERMANENT "HOUSE OF FREE- WIZE AFRICAN REVOLUTIONARRIES ".... "THIS IS WHERE ALL THE REPSRESENTATIVES SIT DOWN TO DECIDE THE BEST AND MOST INTRELLIGENT WAY FORWARD!!! AFRICANS ARE WATCHING AS THE SO CALLED MID EAST IS ON FIRE, WITH DEATHS DAILY, MOUNTAINS OF DEATH AND THE WEST CONTIUES TO SAY NO DIALOGUE '..WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE OUR CHILDREN BECOMMING SOLDIERS BEFORE THIER TIMES, MURDERERSIN STEAD OF ENGINEERS NOT KNOWING CHILD HOOD ? FACING DEATH AT ANY TIME!!! "IS THIS WAHT WE AS AFRICANS WANT OR IS THIS WHAT THE WEST IS FORCING US TO ACCEPT!!! LOOK HOW QUICKLY THE ARE RALLYING AROUND FRANCE;' LIKE VAMPIRES WAITING FOR THIER PORTION OF BLOOD!"!! THE WEST KNEW FROM EARLY OUT THAT THERE WERE CHILDREN BEING RECRUITED, YET THEY PERSISTED WITH THIS WAR OF AGGRESSION ; AS I SAID EARLIER HOOLLANDE IS LOOKING OFR RECOGNITION IN THE HISTORY BOOKS!. THESE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR FAME USING ALL SORTS OF TWIST TO ENERGISE AND MIS USE THE TECHNOLGIES THEY HAVE STOLEN OUT OF AFRICA". I KNOW M,ANMY OF OF YOU DO NOT SEE OR VISION THIS THOUGHT THAT THEY ARE USING MOSTLY DATED RESEARCH THAT WAS DONE BY OUR FOR FATHERS THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO!!! WHILE WE SIT IN AFRICA IN ABJECT POVERTY DUE TO MISEDUCATION NO EDUCATION WE ARE SITTING ON TONNES OF GOLD DIAMONDS PLATNIUM AND MUCH MORE!!!. MONOTHESIM HAS BEEN PART OF AFRICAS CULTURE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING !!!."WE HAVE NEVER SERVED MULTIPLE GODS"!! THIS HAS BEEN OUR WAY FOREVER!!! WHY ARE WE FIGHTING SOEMTHING WE ARE NTO AFRAID OF. THESE PEOPLE ARE QUICK TO LOCK YOU YP BUT YOU RATHJER LOOSE YORU FREEWIZE INTELLECT THAN TO BE FLOGGED FOR THINGS THAT ARE NOT RIGHT. MANY OF YOU PREFER BONDAGE AND SLAVERY THAN TO SAY YES!, IT IS BETTER TO WALK UPRIGHT AND NOBLE THAN TO SEEK CORRUPTION DURNKENNESS CIGArettes which are cancerous deadly drugs' is soemthing RIGHETOUSS PEOPLE DO NOT INDULGE IN!! WE NEED EDUCATION TO SUCCESSFULLY EXTRACT REFINE SELL OUR RESOURCES AS WE WANT"!!!!,, " THESE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR RESOURCES' THEY ARE HERE TO STEAL PLUNDER. THIS IS AN OPPPORTUNITY FOR THESE MEN TO COME BACK INTO AFRICA WITH MORE MECHANISED TOOLS; WHICH THEY HAVE LEARNED FROM ALL THE BOOKS AND SCRIPTS THEY STOLE FROM TOMBS FROM TEMPLES PALACES WITH GREAT SPLENDOUR CITIES LIKE MEROE WHERE ARE ALL THESE GOLDEN CITIES??? THEY FOUND IN CENTRAL AFRICA!!! THEY HAVE PILLAGED PLUNDERED AND ISW NOW SETTING UP MISILES IN SYRIA TURKEY TO MURDER AND KEEP AFRICA UNDEE THIER SPELL SO THEY CAN RAID PLUNDER WHEN THEY WISH". IF AFRICANS DO NOT WAKE UP AND STOP THESE AGGRESORS!!!! " WE WILL BE ANOTHER AFGHANISTAN AND WE WILL BE LEFT WITH WARS THRUOUGH OUT WEST AND NORTH AFRICA'; THAT WILL EVENTUALLU COMNSUME ALL AFRICA". WHICH IS WHAT THESE EUROEPANS ARE TRYING TO DO. THEY WANT TO HOLD ON TO RESOURCES WITH THIER ARMIES CONTROLING THE MOST VALUABLE SITES . AFRICANS HAAVE BEEN ALREADY SELLING OUT AFRICA TO THESE FELONS THESE CRIMINALS"!!! THEY HAVE USA SPECIAL FORCES ALREDAY SUPPLLYING FRANCE WITH INFORMATION ON THE GROUND!!!!!!!????,." HOW IS THAT POSIBLE ???? UNLESS THEY ARE IN THE AREA FROM A EARLIER DATE". AFRICAN LEADERS ARE PLAYING FROM THE BACK THEY WEREE RIGHT WHEN THEY KILLED MURDERED GHADAFFI THEY MURDERED THE HEAD" !"SO THEY THE WEST FEELS THEY CAN TAKE AFRICA AT WILL"!!!!. NO ONE STOOD UP FOR LIBYAS GADADFFI?????// NO NATIONS STOOD FOR THEIR TRUE LEADER", EVERY OTHER AFRICAN LEADER IS A COWARD" HE CAN ONLY KILL BLACK PEOPLE" HE IS AFRAID OF WHITES!!!!". ALL THESE LEADERS WILL STAND UP WITH TROOPS TO FIGHT THEMSELVES BUT NOT WHITE AGGRESSION??? WHICH IS WHAT IS GOING ON IN MALI. THEY ARE SENDING IN REINOFRCEMENST SO THEY CAN OCCUPY BAMAKO AND PRETEND TO TRAIN . LOOK AT AFGHANISTAN THIER TRIANING IS SO POOR THAT THE TALIBAN WILL BE BACK NEXT YEAR FOR SURE"!!!. THESE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO MAKE UP THIS MASSIVE LINK TO AL-QAUEDA "??? THERE ARE MANY WHO MIGHT SYMPATHISE BUT IT IS NO WHERE WHAT THESE GUYS ARE PRETENDING '... 'THEY ARE AGGRESIVE EUROPEANS LOOKING TO REHOLD OCCUPY AFRICAN LANDS !!!! THAT IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY IN REAL TIME' IN MODERNITY' IN FACT' IN MOTION' IN REALITY!!!!" OPEN EYES BRIGHTLY!!!!!!!!!! Y." WHY ARE NT THESE GUYS TALKING TO THE AU'?????" IT IS THE SAME DISRESPECT THE SAME AGGRESSION AND NO RESPECT FOR BLACK PEOPLE!!! BLACK PEOPLE IN NUMBERS DO NOT HAVE RESPECT FOR THEMSELKVES. THEY DO NOT TRUST THAT THEIR ELDERS THIER FOREFATHERS IS HERE IN SPIRIT WITH US!! TO GUIDE US THRU THE CRANAGE THAT THESE WHITES WANT TO PARTAKE IN ON "THIS GLORIOUS CONTINENT"!!! THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE BEEN HERE;' BUT THIS WILL BE THEIR LAST TIME".... "AFRICA IS FOR AFRICANS" "ONE AIM ONE HEART ONE LOVE ONE DESTINY"