U.N. Seeks to End Use of Child Soldiers
Efforts to crack down on the use of child soldiers have largely failed, and stricter measures are needed to pursue countries and warring factions that exploit children in conflicts, members of the U.N. Security Council said Tuesday. In a daylong open debate, country after country came forward to lament the use of child soldiers, citing countries like Myanmar, Congo, and Liberia. A report issued by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers spelled out the worst cases, including Congo, where the government supports groups that recruit “armies of children,” some as young as seven years old. “Remarkably little progress has been made in ending the use of child soldiers and some violators have even increased their recruitment of children,” the report said. Full Story