The Colombian Ombudsman’s Office revealed on Friday that 23 children and adolescents have been linked to violent groups. This figure implies that the recruitment of children increased by 53% in the first quarter of this 2023, compared to the same period last year.
The information is known from a letter sent by the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo, to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, regarding the commemoration of Children’s Day.
According to the document, in the first three months of 2023, 13 boys and 10 girls between the ages of 13 and 17 left their homes to join the ranks of violent actors. In the same period last year, 15 cases had been identified.
In this 2023, the department of Cauca, in southwestern Colombia, is the region where the most cases have been registered with a total of 14. It is followed by the departments of Amazonas (on the border with Brazil) with four young people recruited, two in Antioquia (central west) and one in Arauca (border with Venezuela).
In the letter, the defender Camargo warns of the “high risk in which girls, boys and adolescents are of being recruited, used and used by violent actors.” He adds that “it is a worrying situation that we continue to see and that should take on relevance in the international arena,” as it represents a violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
According to the humanitarian agency, ethnic communities and those living in remote rural areas are the most affected. In those places, “the institutional presence is scarce,” the letter states. That is why she asked that the social and educational offer be increased in those territories, since she considers that it is the way to prevent children and young people from ending up in war.
Ombudsman Carlos Camargo also asked the national government that before any intention of dialogue with violent groups, the rights of the victims and especially those of minors should be at the center of the conversation.
The document sent by the Ombudsman is part of the report that the UN Security Council periodically prepares regarding the participation of children and adolescents in armed conflicts.
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