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A30 world news
Dialuna 2 augustus 2021

Burkina Faso sees more child soldiers as jihadi attacks rise

(AP) — Awoken by gun- The number of children re- kids themselves — have be- struggling to stem the vio- The army denied these al-
shots in the middle of the cruited by armed groups in come so concerning that this lence, which has killed thou- legations, along with accusa-
night, Fatima Amadou Burkina Faso rose at least year Burkina Faso was added sands and displaced 1.3 mil- tions that it was slow in re-
was shocked by what she five-fold so far this year, up for the first time to the U.N.’s lion people since the jihadi sponding to the attack in Sol-
saw among the attackers: from four documented cases annual report on Children attacks began. han, but would not provide a
children. in all of last year, according to and Armed Conflict. detailed comment.
information seen by the AP Experts on child recruitment
Guns slung over their small in an unpublished report by Aid groups say they are see- say that poverty pushes some The deteriorating security is
frames, the children chanted international aid and conflict ing more children with jihadi kids toward armed groups. sparking unrest, with protests
“Allahu akbar,” as they sur- experts. fighters at roadside check- Sako, who works with the across the country demand-
rounded her home in Sol- points in the Sahel — an arid public prosecutor, said some ing the government take
han town in Burkina Faso’s At least 14 boys are being held region that passes through children who wanted money stronger action. In response,
Sahel region. Some were so in the capital, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso but stretches to enroll in school joined President Roch Marc Chris-
young they couldn’t even for alleged association with straight across the African because they were promised tian Kabore fired his security
pronounce the words, Arabic militant armed groups, some continent just south of the approximately $18 if they and defense ministers, ap-
for “God is great,” said the there since 2018, said Idrissa Sahara. In recent years, the killed someone. Others were pointing himself minister of
43-year-old mother. Sako, assistant to Burkina western Sahel has become an promised gifts like motor- defense.
Faso’s public prosecutor at epicenter of jihadi violence. bikes.
“When I saw the kids, what the high court in the city. Amid this raft of problems,
came to my mind was that During a recent trip to Dori, But civil society organiza- Burkina Faso must now also
(the adults) trained these kids Amadou said she saw about a town in the region where tions also accuse army troops figure out what to do with
to be assassins, and they came seven children with the nearly 1,200 people fled after of contributing to the prob- the children accused of being
to kill my children,” Amadou fighters who surrounded her the attack on Solhan, the AP lem by committing abuses affiliated with armed groups.
told The Associated Press home during the Solhan at- spoke with eight survivors, against civilians suspected of
by phone from Sebba town, tack. She did not see them five of whom said they either being jihadis. None of the boys being held
where she now lives. kill anyone, but they helped heard or saw children partake in Ouagadougou has been
burn down houses. in the violence. “There are more security put on trial, according to
She and her family are among operations ... (so) there are Sako. The government has
the lucky ones who survived “We are alarmed by the pres- “We heard them say, ‘we good more military abuses,” said not yet signed an agreement
the June attack, in which ence of children with armed children have come to change Maimouna Ba, head of op- with the United Nations that
about 160 people were killed groups,” said Sandra Lattouf, Solhan in a better way,’” said erations for Women for the would help it to treat such
— the deadliest such assault the representative for the Hama Amadou, a resident, Dignity of the Sahel, a Dori- children as victims, not per-
since the once-peaceful West United Nations Children’s who hid in his shop during based advocacy group. “It petrators, for instance, by
African nation was overrun Fund, or UNICEF, in the the fighting. He said he also is hard for a child to get up moving them from prison to
by fighters linked to al-Qaida country. heard women directing the in the morning and see that centers where they could re-
and the Islamic State about children, saying “kill him, kill their father was killed.” As ceive psychological care.
five years ago. As that vio- The effects of the conflict on him.” they get older, children may
lence increases, so too does children — including their become angry and start ask- “It is a real concern for us to
the recruitment of child sol- recruitment as soldiers but Burkina Faso’s ill-equipped ing why the state isn’t help- find a permanent solution for
diers. also attacks on schools and and undertrained army is ing them, she said. children,” said Sako.

Myanmar military extends emergency, promises vote in 2 years

(AP) — Six months af- ment of Aung San Suu Kyi on ban and rural areas. heading a civil disobedience
ter seizing power from Feb. 1, an action the gener- Myanmar is also struggling movement that urged profes-
the elected government, als said was permitted under Moves by The Association with its worst COVID-19 sionals and civil servants not
Myanmar’s military lead- the military-authored 2008 of Southeast Asian Nations outbreak that has over- to cooperate with the govern-
er on Sunday declared constitution. The military to broker a dialogue between whelmed its already crippled ment.
himself prime minister claimed her landslide victory the military government and health care system. Limita-
and said he would lead in last year’s national elec- its opponents have stalled af- tions on oxygen sales have Min Aung Hlaing blamed
the country under the ex- tions was achieved through ter an agreement at an April led to widespread allegations the public’s mistrust in the
tended state of emergency massive voter fraud but of- summit in Jakarta to appoint that the military is directing military’s efforts to control
until elections are held in fered no credible evidence. a special envoy for Myanmar. supplies to government sup- the outbreak on “fake news
about two years. porters and military-run hos- and misinformation via so-
The military government of- Min Aung Hlaing said that pitals. cial networks,” and accused
“We must create conditions ficially annulled the election among the three nominees, those behind it of using CO-
to hold a free and fair mul- results last Tuesday and ap- Thailand’s former Deputy At the same time, medical VID-19 “as a tool of bioter-
tiparty general election,” Se- pointed a new election com- Foreign Minister Virasakdi workers have been targeted rorism.”
nior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing mission to take charge of the Futrakul was selected as the by authorities after spear-
said during a recorded tele- polls. envoy. “But for various rea-
vised address. “We have to sons, new proposals were re-
make preparations. I pledge The military takeover was leased and we could not keep
to hold the multiparty gen- met with massive public pro- moving onwards. I would
eral election without fail.” tests that has resulted in a like to say that Myanmar is
lethal crackdown by security ready to work on ASEAN co-
He said the state of emer- forces who routinely fire live operation within the ASEAN
gency will achieve its objec- ammunition into crowds. framework, including the
tives by August 2023. In a dialogue with the ASEAN
separate announcement, the As of Sunday, 939 people have special envoy in Myanmar,”
military government named been killed by the authorities he said.
itself “the caretaker govern- since Feb. 1, according to a
ment” and Min Aung Hlaing tally kept by the independent ASEAN foreign ministers
the prime minister. Assistance Association for were expected to discuss
Political Prisoners. Casual- Myanmar in virtual meetings
The state of emergency was ties are also rising among the this week hosted by Bru-
declared when troops moved military and police as armed nei, the current chair of the
against the elected govern- resistance grows in both ur- 10-nation bloc.