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A30 world news
Diaranson 24 november 2021

West Africa has highest numbers of child soldiers, says UN

Africa told The Associated More than 57 million chil- people were killed, children
Press. dren are in need of humani- were seen alongside jihad-
tarian assistance, a number ists, chanting “Allahu akbar”
“Not only have grave viola- that’s doubled since last year (God is great in Arabic) as
tions against children perpe- as a result of conflict and the they burned homes.
trated by parties to the con- virus.
flicts not stopped across West Children associated with
and Central Africa, but we While some countries have armed groups are often ex-
have even seen a spike over been a concern for nearly a posed to “unbearable levels
the past five years, with a 50% decade or more, there are of violence” and their re-
increase in the total number three new areas of concern: cruitment can be preceded
of verified grave violations,” Burkina Faso, Cameroon and and followed by other vio-
she said. the countries surrounding lations such as abduction,
Lake Chad, according to the sexual violence and the kill-
Since 2005, when the U.N. U.N.’s annual report on chil- ing and maiming of children,
established a system to moni- dren and armed conflict. Special Representative of the
tor and report on serious vio- Secretary-General for Chil-
lations against children, such Conflict in the four countries dren and Armed Conflict
(AP) — Trapped in con- port. In addition, more than as recruitment, abduction, straddling the Lake Chad ba- Virginia Gamba told The As-
flicts, the children of 2,200 children in the region rape and attacks on schools sin — Cameroon, Chad, Ni- sociated Press.
West and Central Africa have been victims of sexual and hospitals, one out of four ger and Nigeria — has dis-
are the most recruited by violence since 2016, says the violations globally was com- placed some 3 million people The U.N. is calling for par-
armed groups in the world report. mitted in West and Central and in Burkina Faso, where a ties to the conflict to prevent
and also have the high- Africa, said the report. jihadist insurgency has killed and end violations against
est number of victims of More than 3,500 children thousands, child recruitment children and for perpetra-
sexual violence, says a re- have been abducted, making In conflict-affected countries rose at least five-fold this year, tors to be held accountable. It
port released Tuesday by it the region with the second- such as Burkina Faso, Central up from four documented urges aid groups to increase
the United Nations Chil- highest abductions in the African Republic, Cameroon, cases in all of last year, ac- the documentation of viola-
dren’s Fund. world, said the report. Chad, Congo, Mali, Mauri- cording to information seen tions and to work to prevent
tania and Niger, violence has by the AP in an unpublished and respond to them. UNI-
For five years the region “The numbers and trends are had devastating humanitarian report by international aid CEF says that it needs more
has seen increased conflicts extremely worrying for cur- consequences for children and conflict experts. than $92 million to protect
in which more than 21,000 rent and future generations and communities, with the children in emergencies
children have been recruited of children,” Marie-Pierre pandemic exacerbating the During a deadly attack in across West and Central Af-
by government forces and Poirier, UNICEF’s regional situation, said the U.N. June in the country’s Sahel rica, more than half of which
armed groups, says the re- director for West and Central region where at least 160 is not yet funded.

Interpol holds meeting in Istanbul to elect new president

(AP) — Interpol kicked off its an- has been extended by a year after the to be up for a vacant spot on Inter- the Lyon, France organization and
nual meeting in Istanbul on Tuesday coronavirus pandemic prompted In- pol’s executive committee. Hu, who plays a role in supervising the police
to discuss security threats and crime terpol to scrap its annual assembly last is backed by China’s government, body’s work and guiding its overall
trends as well as to hold a closely- year. His replacement will be elected which is suspected to have used the general direction. That post of secre-
watched election for the international for one four-year term. global police agency to hunt down tary general is currently held by Juer-
police body’s new leadership. exiled dissidents and of disappearing gen Stock of Germany.
The vote is also the subject of added its citizens.
About 470 police chiefs, ministers controversy because representatives Meng is now serving a 13½-year jail
and other representatives from more from China and the United Arab Interpol says it refuses to be used for sentence for corruption, charges that
than 160 countries are attending the Emirates are bidding for top posts. political ends. his wife Grace Meng, now living in
three-day General Assembly, which Critics contend that if these candi- France with her children under po-
is scheduled to vote on Thursday to dates win, their countries would use Although Interpol’s secretary general lice protection, insisted in an inter-
elect a new presidency and executive Interpol’s global reach to apprehend runs Interpol on a day-to-day basis, view with The Associated Press were
committee members. exiled dissidents and even political the president is still a figurehead for trumped up and politically motivated.
opponents at home, instead of hunt-
On Tuesday, delegates voted to admit ing down drug smugglers, human
the Federated States of Micronesia, traffickers, war crimes suspects and
raising the number of Interpol mem- alleged extremists.
bers to 195, according to an Interpol
statement. One of the candidates is accused by
human rights groups of involvement
The election for president is being in torture and arbitrary detentions in
followed closely since the first-ever the United Arab Emirates. Maj. Gen.
Chinese president of the body, Meng Ahmed Naser al-Raisi, inspector gen-
Hongwei, vanished midway through eral at the UAE’s interior ministry, is
his four-year term on a return trip already a member of Interpol’s exec-
to China in 2018. It subsequently utive committee. He says he wants to
emerged that he had been detained, modernize Interpol.
accused of bribery and other alleged
crimes. Interpol then announced that Criminal complaints have been filed
Meng had resigned from the presi- against him in five countries, includ-
dency. ing in France, where Interpol has its
headquarters and in Turkey where
A vice president, Kim Jong Yan from the election is taking place.
South Korea, was swiftly elected as a
replacement to serve out the rest of The other controversial candidate is
Meng’s term. Kim’s presidency was Hu Binchen, an official at China’s
due to end in 2020, but his tenure ministry of public security, expected