Children of West Africa can be better protected against sexual abuses by Blue Helmets and soldiers if armed forces are properly trained in child rights before, during and after a conflict, the NGO Save the Children Sweden said based on its experience in 14 West African countries.

For the past 7 years, about 45,000 military officers have been trained by Save the Children Sweden and its local partners in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. Whereas nations of West Africa are increasingly becoming major providers of troops for UN peacekeeping missions, soldiers from both governmental and non-governmental forces as well as UN peacekeepers have learned how to better respond to the specific needs of children affected by conflicts.

Over 80% of all Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) members have set up child protection units within their armed forces to quickly meet all training requests and information queries. Today more than 1,300 military trainers are able and available to conduct and facilitate child protection training sessions for their troops. In several countries of West Africa, a permanent module has also been integrated into the military curriculum.

"When a conflict or a natural disaster arises, soldiers are usually the first ones being deployed and put in direct contact with children", says Ibrahima Diouf, programme officer at Save the Children Sweden. "Yet, soldiers can do more harm than good. Sometimes they simply don't know that they can be sued if they engage in sexual relationship with a minor", he added.

"Reporting and condemning sexual abuses against children is good. Trying to prevent them from happening is much better. Few organisations are working long-term with this difficult question", stresses Anniken Elisson Tyden, Save the Children Sweden's Regional Representative for West Africa. "Can all cases of sexual exploitation be eradicated by a training session alone? Of course, they cannot; we must be realistic. However, training military staff helps change the way they look at their role in protecting children", she continues.

Published on May 27 by Save the Children UK, the report suggests that cases of child abuse by UN peacekeepers and aid workers are often under-reported. One of the main recommendations that came out of this research consists of strengthening child protection systems nationally in conflict and post-conflict areas.

Besides its ongoing military training programme, Save the Children Sweden is furthermore working with police officers, magistrates, social workers, teachers and children themselves so that cases of child trafficking, exploitation and abuse are more rapidly reported and carefully handled.

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Laurent Duvillier Regional Communications Officer, West Africa Direct +221 33 869 19 64 Mobile +221 77 637 66 04 laurent.duvillier@scswa.org laurentd@waf.savethechildren.se

Save the Children Sweden fights for children's rights. We deliver immediate and lasting improvements to children's lives worldwide.

Save the Children Sweden Regional Office for West Africa Point E, Rue C x 6 B.P. 25934 Dakar-Fann SENEGAL Phone +221 33 869 18 00 Fax +221 33 864 44 63