Nearly 900 children, including 894 children,
including 106 girls, were released from the ranks of the Civilian Joint Task
Force (CJTF) in Maiduguri, north-east Nigeria, today, Friday, May 10, 2019 as
part of its commitment to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children.
The new release brings the total number of
children released since 2017 to over 1,700, according to a statement signed by
Oluwatosin Akingbulu, Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships, United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) made available to DAILY INDEPENDENT.
The CJTF is a local militia – an armed group
that helps the Nigerian security forces in the fight against insurgency in
north-east Nigeria. It was formed in 2013, with the aim of protecting
communities from attack.
“Any commitment for children that is matched
with action is a step in the right direction for the protection of children’s
rights and must be recognised and encouraged,” said Mohamed Fall,
Representative of UNICEF in Nigeria and the Co-chair of United Nations Country
Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting on Grave Child Rights Violations
(CTFMR).
“Children of north-east Nigeria have borne
the brunt of this conflict. They have been used by armed groups in combatant
and non-combatant roles and witnessed death, killing and violence. This
participation in the conflict has had serious implications for their physical
and emotional well-being.”
Since September 2017, when the CJTF signed
an action plan committing to put measures in place to end and prevent
recruitment and use of children, 1,727 children and young people have been
released. Since then, there has been no new recruitment of children by the
CJTF.
The children and young people released today
will benefit from reintegration programmes to help them return to civilian
life, seize new opportunities for their own development, and contribute to
bringing lasting peace in Nigeria, as productive citizens of their country.
Without this support, many of the children released from armed groups struggle
to fit into civilian life, as most are not educated and have no vocational
skills.
In the ongoing armed conflict in north-east
Nigeria, more than 3,500 children were recruited and used by non-state armed
groups between 2013 and 2017. Others have been abducted, maimed, raped and
killed.
“We cannot give up the fight for the
children, as long as children are still affected by the fighting. We will
continue until there is no child left in the ranks of all armed groups in Nigeria,”
said Fall.
UNICEF continues to work closely with state
authorities and partners to support the implementation of reintegration
programmes for all children released from armed groups, as well as others
affected by the ongoing conflict. The gender and age-appropriate
community-based reintegration support interventions include an initial
assessment of their well-being, psychosocial support, education, vocational
training, informal apprenticeships, and opportunities to improve livelihoods.
At least 9,800 people formerly associated
with armed groups, as well as vulnerable children in communities, have accessed
such services between 2017 and 2018.
