RABAT (MAROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – The work of the African Ministerial Conference on Disarmament, Reinforcement and Reinsertion (DDR) of Child Soldiers concluded on Thursday, with the adoption of the Rabat Declaration, which underlines the strengthening of the commitment to combat children’s enlistment in armed conflicts in Africa.
According to MAP Express, the ministers and leaders of the delegations of the African States participating in the African Conference on Disarmament, Reinforcement and Reinsertion (DDR) of Child Soldiers adopted this Declaration reaffirming their firm commitment to combat the recruitment and exploitation of minors in armed conflicts, qualified as “ample violations of international law and an affront to humanity.”.
The Declaration expresses a deep concern about the persistence of serious violations committed against children, in particular forced recruitment, sexual violence, kidnappings, as well as obstacles to access to education and humanitarian aid. The document also highlights the priority given to prevention, given the most effective response to end the phenomenon of child soldiers. The delegations therefore wanted the creation of protective environments, the strengthening of Community resilience and early warning mechanisms, and the fight against the deep causes of recruitment.
The ministers also highlighted that the reintegration of children released by armed groups must be global, sustainable and adapted to individual paths, through programs that combine psychosocial support, family reunification, social inclusion, schooling and economic autonomy. They insisted on the need to fight stigmatization and promote reconciliation within communities.
The Rabat Declaration also calls for strengthening regional and international cooperation, highlighting the central role of African organizations, local communities and civil society in the prevention, protection and reintegration of minors associated with armed forces and groups. The Declaration also emphasizes that the processes of peace and post-conflict must systematically integrate the protection of children, considered not only beneficiaries, but also actors of change in African societies.
The Rabat Declaration also announces the start of a process aimed at developing a specific African legal instrument, in the form of a continental Convention dedicated to the prevention of recruitment of child soldiers and their reintegration. In this perspective, African ministers decided to create the “Family Group on the DDR focusing on children”, a platform designed to support this process and catalyze common efforts.
Adopted to Rabat, the Declaration reaffirms the shared ambition of African countries to build a continent where every child can grow protected from fear, violence and armed conflicts, and their determination to contribute to the overall effort aimed at eliminating the phenomenon of child soldiers.
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(ITALPRESS).
