According to foreign media reports, officials in the West African country of Burkina Faso recently said that the extremist invasion has caused the country to suffer a deadly massacre, which has caused thousands of deaths, and most of the perpetrators behind these massacres are children.
On June 5, the government of Burkina Faso said that two villages in the northern Sahel region were attacked by terrorists on the evening of the 4th, resulting in the death of more than 130 civilians. It was the deadliest attack on the country since 2015.
↑ Infographic. Eight security forces soldiers were killed in an attack on the capital of Burkina Faso in 2018. Picture according to Xinhua News Agency
According to Xinhua News Agency, attacks in Burkina Faso have occurred frequently in recent years, and the security situation is grim. The country's security forces have recently carried out several rounds of large-scale counter-terrorism operations, but terrorist attacks continue to occur frequently in the eastern and northern parts of the country. Analysts believe that in recent years, extremist forces have "gathered" and violent activities have been rampant in West Africa, which is regarded as a new "terror zone" in Africa.
Last year, more than three thousand children were recruited by armed groups in Central and West Africa
Burkina Faso's government spokesman, Ousseni Tamboura, told the media this week that a group of young boys was involved in the attack in the northeastern village of Solhan in early June, killing at least 138 people, "mostly children between the ages of 12 and 14." ”
Meanwhile, 10 per cent of schools in Burkina Faso have closed due to increased insecurity. Researchers say this trend makes children more vulnerable to abuse, trafficking and recruitment by militants.
From March to June last year, Burkina Faso closed schools across the country due to the outbreak, and many students never returned to school. According to the United Nations, more than 300,000 children in the country are currently deprived of access to education.
According to the United Nations, about 3,270 children were recruited by armed groups in Central and West Africa in 2020 alone. This accounts for more than a third of the world's recorded child soldiers.
UNICEF Representative in Burkina Faso Sandra Lattouf said in a statement on Thursday (24 April), "We are appalled by the emergence of children in armed groups. When living with armed elements, children are exposed to unjustified forms of violence, including physical and sexual violence, or suffer severe trauma. ”
↑ Infographic. In August 2017, at least 18 people were killed and more than 20 injured in a terrorist attack in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Picture according to Xinhua News Agency
The researchers say children have long been drawn into wars in developing Africa. Many have been kidnapped, forced to take drugs and brainwashed. People who have escaped say such an experience has brought great trauma.
In northeastern Nigeria, children who had been forced to join the extremist group Boko Haram said their captors threatened to kill anyone who refused to participate in the attack. The group is notorious for straying bombs to young girls and then sending them into crowds.
A child of 7 years has been kidnapped to become an armed man
The Government of Burkina Faso did not provide further details on the involvement of children in the conflict, and it is unclear which group carried out the attack.
According to Xinhua News Agency, extremist groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have launched attacks in desert areas mainly in Mali in recent years, and since the beginning of this year, they have continuously expanded their strongholds in the Sahel region, occupying large areas of land and inciting tribal conflicts, and Burkina Faso has been particularly affected.
Héni Nsaibia, senior researcher at the Armed Conflict Locations and Events Data Project (ACLED), said: "People often find militants in the photographs looking young. The testimony of the abducted also often mentions that the militants are generally teenagers. ”
↑ Infographic. On 14 November 2019, French soldiers patrolled villages in northern Burkina Faso using armored personnel carriers. Figure according to AFP
The news that children were behind the attacks caused a stir in a country of about 20 million people, with a Burkina Faso military officer saying that even 7-year-olds were kidnapped as militants, "we are seeing more and more of these children, some of whom have been involved in fighting since they were around the age of 12." ”
The country is reportedly backed by French and regional militaries, but the under-resourced military also offers no reliable protection. In response to the threat of extremism, the Government of Burkina Faso mobilized a number of volunteer militias to support the army, and self-defence militias rose rapidly. But analysts say it sparked horrific retaliation, with many people joining and killing and entire villages burned down.
The United Nations reports that more than 1.2 million people in the country have lost their homes since the violence began, 61 percent of them children.
Red Star News reporter Jiang Yijin
Edited by Zhang Xun
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