Some former child soliders have depicted their experiences of conflict in art © Amnesty International
By Christian Mukosa, researcher at Amnesty International
Rawan is just 13 years old, though he looks older. He was not even 11 when he left his home and became a child soldier. He – and the 40 other boys who talked to us about their experiences – are living proof of the use of child soldiers in Chad.
Children are still being used by both the army and armed opposition groups. Thousands have joined up in recent years as the armed conflict between the Chadian army and rebel groups has intensified in the region and the Darfur conflict over the border in Sudan has engulfed eastern Chad.
Continuar leyendo ‘A compromised future for children in Chad’ »
By Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada (English)
In November 2006 our Amnesty International team spent quite a bit of time with the people of Djorlo, a village that had been attacked and burned to the ground just 10 days before we arrived in the area.
More than 40 people had been killed and a number of women had been raped. When we met them, the people of Djorlo had nothing and had nowhere to go. They were living out in the open, with bolts of fabric strung up in trees to provide a bit of shelter and privacy.
Continuar leyendo ‘Remembering Haroon Yacoub’ »
By Alex Neve, Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada (English)
The last thing I ever would have expected in an isolated corner of eastern Chad is a reunion!
This afternoon we made our way out to Koudigou, a camp near Goz Beida that is home to about 11,000 displaced Chadians, most of who have been there for close to four years now. It was a bumpy, sandy track through rough terrain, making our way past sporadic groups of people coming and going with supplies of water and bundles of firewood and hay.
Continuar leyendo ‘‘There is still more for us to do together’ in Chad’ »
By Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada (English)
“It is a very good thing when someone comes to protect you. But it is so hard to understand why they leave when you still need to be protected. Does that mean they had not really wanted to come in the first place?”
That was the reaction I received when I asked Arnour what he thought about the likelihood that UN troops would be leaving Chad. He is a young refugee from Darfur who spent six years fighting as a child soldier against the Janjaweed and Sudanese military, but recently decided to lay down his arms and join his mother at a refugee camp in Chad.
Continuar leyendo ‘Eastern Chad after MINURCAT: Fears Mount’ »
By Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada (English)
Putting an end to the recruitment and use of child soldiers is a pressing human rights concern in so very many parts of the world. It is certainly an immense problem here on both sides of the border between Chad and Darfur.
The full range of armies, militias and armed opposition groups responsible for years of fighting and human rights violations here are notorious for having thousands of young children in their ranks and regularly sending them out onto the battlefield.
Continuar leyendo ‘Child Soldiers in Chad: It’s About All Rights’ »
