African Union intensifies efforts to end use of child soldiers on continent

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - The African Union's (AU) Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) Council met Wednesday to focus on eradicating the use of child soldiers.

The PAPS said it “discussed practical ways to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts and emphasized the need for Member States to take robust measures against all perpetrators of violence, and abuse of, children.”

The Council acknowledged that addressing the underlying causes of conflict is crucial in achieving a lasting solution to child soldiery and emphasized the importance of integrating child protection measures within early warning systems and proactive conflict prevention initiatives.

The Council encouraged partners and philanthropists to increase funding for flexible and accessible programs tailored to the specific needs of children caught in conflict zones.

- ‘Too late’

Prominent East African security expert George Musamali voiced concerns about the AU's delayed intervention in addressing the use of child soldiers.

Musamali lamented to Anadolu about the timing of the bloc's initiatives.

"I think the African Union has come a shame too late because this is not the first time that we are witnessing the use of child soldiers in Africa," he said.

He highlighted historical instances of child soldiering, referencing groups like the Sudanese Liberation Front (SLF) in the early 1980s and the National Resistance Army (NRA) in Uganda led by the current President Yoweri Museveni.

Musamali pointed to more recent occurrences in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Southern Sudan where child soldiers are being used in conflict zones.

"What the African Union has done is just coming in very late after the UN took action and talked about it in the early 1980s," said Musamali, alluding to past demobilization efforts in Uganda and Southern Sudan.

He expressed concerns about the escalating use of child soldiers in the Great Lake region, emphasizing the potential negative repercussions on regional security.

"This is worrying now because, at the end of the day, it's going to have negative repercussions on the security of the region," Musamali cautioned.

"To effectively address the scourge of child soldiering, concerted efforts must focus on comprehensive disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs, coupled with robust measures to tackle the root causes of conflict and instability in affected regions," he said.