Use of child soldiers in conflict war crime – ICC

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Mrs Fatou Bensouda has affirmed its commitment to end use of child soldiers in wars. In a message to mark the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, she said: “girls and boys in their tens of thousands are still being forced to fight and die […]

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Mrs Fatou Bensouda has affirmed its commitment to end use of child soldiers in wars.

In a message to mark the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, she said: “girls and boys in their tens of thousands are still being forced to fight and die as soldiers in wars.”

She said children should have no part in armed conflict while calling for “our collective resolve for urgent action to eradicate the practice and its horrendous consequences.

“The disheartening reality is that the situation for children in armed conflict has been dire with the proliferation of conflicts around the world. A recent report of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict demonstrates how serious the situation really is.  Thousands of children are drawn into bloody fighting on the front lines; while others are killed or maimed, subjected to sexual violence, or denied an education because of the debilitating impact of conflict.

“Children with otherwise bright futures are lost to the violence, subjected to unimaginable atrocities, wrenched from the safety and security of their families, and deprived of the opportunity to grow and develop in a nurturing environment. It is a vicious cycle that calls for collective action to break.

“We will not stand by idly as children are subjected to atrocities. One of the priorities of my Office is to challenge impunity for crimes against children for crimes against children by working towards strengthening measures to hold perpetrators accountable, prevent further atrocities, and deliver justice to victims and survivors in accordance with our mandate under the Rome Statute.”