Radhika Coomaraswamy, Secretary General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflicts concluded on Saturday a six-day mission to assess the conflict’s impact on children in CAR and Chad.

After a two day visit to Chad, Radhika Coomaraswamy came to CAR to meet young victims of abduction, and rebels suspected of recruiting child soldiers. She met with women communities, internally displaced people (IDPs), and victims of the conflict and of coupeurs de routes (Zaraguinas). Among the victimes, the SRSG met a young girl abducted by Coupeurs de Route two years ago in a neighbouring village. She was only liberated in March this year, when the Government forces attacked the bandits’ camp in Bilakaré, between Paoua, Bokaranga and Bozoum. By that time, her parents had fled violence, probably to Cameroun and she is now living with her displaced grandmother in Paoua.

However, despite the remaining insecurity, improvements have been achieved through the peace agreements signed between the Government and the Movement of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR) last year and with the Popular Army for Unity and Democracy (APRD) last month. Both rebellions have accepted to release all mobilised children and “it is now on the international community and the Government to find the necessary resources to ensure an efficient and lasting reintegration of children in their communities” said Ms Coomaraswamy.

The SRSG also met governmental and non governmental actors in order to emphasize the need to address the recurrent issue of sexual violence, and insisted on the necessity to fight impunity and assist the victims.

Addressing the United Nations Security Council in February, Radhika Coomraswamy declared that “concrete and targeted measures” had to be taken if well-meaning words were to be transformed into effective actions. According to a recent UN report, CAR is among the 13 countries still affected by children enrolment in military operations.

In order to provide assistance to vulnerable children and young victims, the UNICEF is working alongside NGOs for the release of abducted children and for the reintegration of child soldiers. Bush schools were also set up across the conflict affected North West regions to provide a provisory solution to displaced children.

For more information visit the SRSG for Children and armed conflict website