UN condemns use of child soldiers
KABUL: The United Nations on Wednesday condemned all sides in Afghanistan’s conflict for using child soldiers, noting that while government forces have curbed the practice, insurgent groups continue to train large numbers of fighters under the age of 18. The Afghan government has made progress on the issue, said Leila Zerrougui, the UN representative for children and armed conflict. But she said the Afghan Local Police — government-allied groups that often operate as independent militias and are widely seen as unprofessional and corrupt — are major perpetrators. The Taliban, who have been battling the government for over 15 years, mainly recruit children in provinces bordering Pakistan and other areas where the fighting is fiercest, she said. Noting that the majority of Afghanistan’s population is younger than 18, Zerrougui said 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.”