The works of African ministerial conference on the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) of children involved in wars ended Thursday with the approval of the Rabat Declaration, a document that renews the common intent to combat with greater determination the use of children in armed conflicts on the continent. According to reports from MAP Express, the delegates and government officials of African countries participants made this declaration their own, reaffirming their desire to decisively oppose any form of enlistment and exploitation of minors in theaters of war, classified as “very serious violations of international norms and an offense to human dignity“. The text expresses strong concern at the continuity of abuses against young people: from forced employment in the militias to sexual assaults, from kidnappings to obstacles to education and humanitarian assistance. The declaration also places prevention at the center, considered the most effective means to reduce and, over time, eliminate the phenomenon of child soldiers. Hence the invitation to create protected contexts, strengthen the resilience capacity of local communities, introduce early warning systems and address the structural causes that lead to recruitment.
A point of strong relevance for the European continent concerns what happens in the Tinduf fields, in south-west Algeria. In this area, according to assessments by international bodies and independent observers, beyond 6,000 children they were forced by the Polisario Front to enter paramilitary structurestransforming refugee camps into a reservoir of minors destined for armed militancy. The presence of such a high number of children involved in military activities close to Mediterranean represents a wake-up call also for Europe, which is observing with growing concern the risk of instability and radicalization on its doorstep. According to the most recent data from UNICEF and the United Nations, tens of thousands of children they continue to be recruited or exploited by armies and armed groups around the world. From 2005 to 2022 have been verified further 105,000 casesa figure that represents only a part of the real phenomenon. In many conflict areas, from Sahel al Middle East (Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad)from the Myanmar at the Yemenminors are employed as fighters, lookouts, couriers or used for propaganda purposes, in one of the most serious violations of children’s rights.
THE African ministers they also recalled that the reintegration of minors removed from armed groups must be complete, long-lasting and tailored to individual needs, through programs that include psychological support, reconstruction of family ties, return to social life, education and paths towards economic autonomy. They also insisted on the need to combat the stigmatization of victims and to support reconciliation initiatives within communities Rabat Declaration calls for strengthening regional and international cooperation, underlining the importance of African institutions, local networks and civil society organizations in prevention, protection and reintegration of minors associated with armies and militias. Furthermore, it reiterates that the negotiation processes and post-conflict phases must systematically include protection measures for children, considered not only recipients of protection, but also protagonists of social renewal. The document also announces the launch of an initiative to define an ad hoc continental regulatory framework, an African Convention dedicated to the prevention of the use of minors in conflicts and their reintegration. To this end, the ministers decided to establish the “Group of Friends on child-centred DDR“, a platform charged with accompanying and supporting this process. With its adoption in the Moroccan capital, the Declaration reaffirms the shared desire of African countries to build a continent in which every child can grow up free from violence, fear and war, and confirms their commitment to contributing to the global mission that aims to definitively eliminate the tragedy of child soldiers.
