UN Condemns Recruitment Of Afghan Children As Soldiers

The United Nations (UN) recently condemned all sides of Afghanistan's conflicts for recruiting children as soldiers. Although the government forces have worked to lessen underage recruits, the number of children trained by insurgent groups as fighters keeps on surging.

ABC News reported that Leila Zerrougui, UN representative for children and armed conflict, blamed the Afghan Local Police, as major perpetrators in the surge of child soldier recruitment. The local police forces, which have been widely criticized as unprofessional and corrupt, often operate independently from central oversight.

According to Zerrougui, despite the efforts of the Afghan government, insurgent groups continue to recruit more fighters under the age of 18 in areas where the fighting is fiercest. She added that the Taliban forces, who have been fighting against the government for more than 15 years, mainly recruit children in provinces bordering Pakistan and other neighboring areas.

Zerrougui added that child soldiers are deprived of the minimum of their basic rights. "They are not going to school, they are deprived of access to health. They are targeted by armed groups and they are prevented from having hope for the future."

In a report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international non-governmental organization based in New York, Taliban forces have been recruiting underage fighters since mid-2015, in violation of international laws. The organization said that their new research has found out that the Taliban forces train and deploy underage fighters for various military operations, including the production and planting of improvised bombs.

Patricia Gossman, senior Afghanistan researcher, said that the Taliban's apparent strategy to throw increasing numbers of children into battle is as cynical and cruel as it is unlawful. "Afghan children should be at school and at home with their parents, not exploited as cannon fodder for the Taliban insurgency."

"The Taliban should immediately stop recruiting children and release all children in their ranks, even those who claim to have joined willingly," Gossman added.