Photo: UNICEF

Progress

• Government’s issuance of orders to military commanders prohibiting the use of children under 15 and curbing the presence of children around military barracks;
• Release in 2020 of 23 children recruited and used by FAMa;
• Advances in the implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration, including a draft law on the protection of education from attacks.

Challenges

• Elevated numbers of grave violations against children, particularly recruitment and use, killing and maiming, abduction, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denials of humanitarian access;
• Continued recruitment and use of children by CMA and Platform.

Recommendations

To the Government:

• To take measures to end and prevent sexual violence against children, to continue reinforcing systems to prevent child recruitment and use by armed forces, and to swiftly finalize the revision of the Child Protection Code, criminalizing the recruitment and use of children, including those aged 15 to 17, as well to release children detained for actual or alleged association with armed groups;
• To adopt and implement the draft law on protecting education from attacks.

To armed groups:

• To respect the 2013 Protocol on the Release and Transfer of Children associated with parties.

To the CMA:

• To continue implementing its 2017 action plan.

To Platform:

• To adopt and swiftly implement an action plan addressing child recruitment and use.

All parties:

• To immediately prevent and put an end to violations.