The diplomatic missions of Australia, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom have expressed concern about the increase in incidents of grave violations against children in Northeast Nigeria in 2023, as reported in the UN Secretary-General’s fourth report on children and armed conflict in Nigeria.
The missions called for an end to the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, noting that the incidents disproportionately affect girls compared to boys.
They made this known in a joint statement marking the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers.
They said, “As members of the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict in Nigeria, we are working with our Nigerian partners and all stakeholders to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. Through this informal, cross-regional group of countries, we seek to draw attention to the situation of children affected by the conflict in Northeast Nigeria and mobilize support for collective solutions.”
They said the reported increase in the number of children recruited and used by armed groups, as well as in the number of abductions and incidents of sexual violence against children, underscores the need for urgent action.
According to them, the violations not only have severe and lifelong impacts on the children affected but also on their communities, with long-term effects on prospects for sustainable peace and development.
“We condemn the unabated grave violations against children by Islamic State – West Africa Province and Jamatu Ahli Sunna Lidda awati wa Jihad, which remain the principal perpetrators of such violations in the Northeast, as reported by the UN. We call on all parties to the conflict to refrain from committing grave violations against children, and to uphold their obligations under international law and for perpetrators to be held to account,” the missions said.
They welcomed the steps taken by the Federal Government to enhance the protection of children in the context of the armed conflict and expressed support for the governments of Adamawa State, Borno State and Yobe State in their efforts to prioritize the protection of children in their responses to the conflict.
The missions commended Nigeria’s commitment to the implementation of the Handover Protocol for children encountered in the course of counterterrorism operations in the Northeast, including the signing of the Handover Protocol Implementation Plan.
They said the Handover Protocol ensures that children associated with armed groups are treated as victims and survivors, and not combatants and that they have timely access, adding that age- and gender-responsive reintegration support remains essential.
“We also welcome the recommendations of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict in response to the Secretary-General’s fourth report on children and armed Conflict in Nigeria and encourage their implementation.
“As we look forward, we pledge to continue to lend our support to Nigerian-led efforts to enhance the protection of children affected by armed conflict. The Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict in Nigeria remains a platform to raise awareness of the situation of children affected by armed conflict in Northeast Nigeria and to mobilize efforts to enhance their prosecution. We welcome continued dialogue between Nigerian authorities, the UN system, civil society and the Group of Friends to find collective solutions to protect children living in situations of armed conflict.
“Together, we believe that through efforts such as these, we can achieve a world where no child is recruited and used by parties to be in armed conflict, and where all children are free to be children,” they concluded.