BURUNDI:

Child soldiers were used extensively by government forces and rebel groups during the 12-year civil war that began in 2003. Children as young as 10 worked as fighters, spies and domestic workers. Some groups abducted girls into sexual slavery. Burundian child soldiers also fought with armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In January 2004 a programme was set up to demobilise children from the national army, civil defence forces and all the rebel groups signed up to the peace process. UNICEF says some 3,000 have so far been demobilised. Only one rebel group is still active and said to use child combatants.

U.N. protocol prohibiting use of child soldiers: signed November 2001

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC:

Child soldiers were reportedly used by government and opposition forces during the war between 2001 and 2003. Armed groups from neighbouring countries recruited children in CAR until early 2003. There appeared to be no safeguards to prevent the recruitment of children to armed vigilante groups.

U.N. protocol prohibiting use of child soldiers: not signed

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO:

All armed groups recruited, abducted and used child soldiers, often on the front line. In 2003, an estimated 30,000 child soldiers needed demobilising.
In eastern DRC, where the civil war continues, rebel groups recruit child soldiers, who constitute more than 40 percent of their forces in some cases. Women and girls are abducted into sexual slavery.

U.N. protocol prohibiting use of child soldiers: ratified November 2001

REPUBLIC OF CONGO:

The government has denied reports it recruited street children in 2002. Unofficial sources claim that children were enticed to join with promises of money and clothes. Following the March 2003 peace agreement there were no new reports of child soldiers. The Ninja rebel group has used child soldiers. Children were incorporated into disarmament and reintegration programmes. However, the process had apparently not begun by March 2004 because of continuing tensions between the Ninjas and government.

U.N. protocol prohibiting use of child soldiers: not signed

RWANDA:

The Rwandan government has denied reports that it used child soldiers inside Rwanda. However, children as young as 14 were recruited by the government paramilitary group, the Local Defence Forces, as late as 2003. Rwandan groups operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo also recruited and abducted children.

U.N. protocol prohibiting use of child soldiers: acceded April 2002

UGANDA:

The government reportedly recruits children into the regular armed forces and local defence units deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan. The Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army has abducted more than 20,000 children - 10,000 since mid-2002. The LRA forces children to commit atrocities, including murdering their families and neighbours, and uses thousands of girls as "wives". Children coming out of LRA captivity are sometimes recruited into government armed forces or forced to take part in operations against the LRA.

U.N. protocol prohibiting use of child soldiers: acceded May 2002