Sudanese children in Chad camps are sold as soldiers – rights group
June 7, 2008 (LONDON) — A London based rights group said in a report released yesterday that young Darfuri refugees in Chad are sold as soldiers to the warrants parties in the region.
Waging Peace said it gathered evidence proving that Sudanese children are being kidnapped in broad daylight and sold to armed groups operating in Eastern Chad. The children affected are mostly boys aged between nine and fifteen, the group said.
According to Waging Peace investigations some camp leaders have themselves been complicit in the violent abduction and sale of children under their protection. The trafficking has taken place with the tacit approval of the Chadian government who are on site at the camps.
The local leaders told the rights group that commanders from, a Darfur rebel group, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) are involved in this traffic.
The report also said Chadian rebel groups and the Chadian and Sudanese armies are involved in this traffic However, Waging Peace said it has photographic evidence of a JEM truck inside a refugee camp – despite being forbidden to enter by international humanitarian law.
The group also blamed the inertia of the soldiers of the EU troops who are deployed in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) to protect Darfur refugees.
The rights group said escalation of fighting in Darfur means more trafficking of Childs in refugee camps.
“Many refugees now fear a new wave of fighting. We are deeply concerned that if the troubles escalate more and more children will be violently trafficked and sold into armed group.” Said Waging Peace researcher Anna Schmitt.:
(ST)