Amsterdam, 5 November 2007 - The Colombian Coalition to stop the use of child soldiers has issued an alarming report about the situation of children in five areas of Colombia. Murder, sexual abuse, occupation of schools by armed militias, forced recruitment and the dramatic process of demobilising minors from illegal armed groups have been reported in Chocó, Putumayo, Cauca, the Caribbean coast and the city of Medellín. War Child Holland supports the Colombian Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers and financed this study to investigate the ongoing violations of children's rights in Colombia. War Child Holland has been working in Colombia since 2005.

Children in serious jeopardy

The civil war between guerrillas, paramilitary and the government army, already raging for over forty years, presents a serious threat to child development. The study shows that a large number of children and youths were killed in 2006 and 2007. It also reveals that young Afro-Colombians were routinely murdered by paramilitaries and guerrilla fighters. In addition, both girls and boys were regularly subjected to sexual abuse and violent treatment at the hands of armed factions.

Militarised environment

The report also states that Colombian children are growing up in an environment characterised by violence and militarism. It refers to schools that are occupied and used for military purposes. One school in Putumayo, for example, serves as a helipad, while a school in Chocó has been converted into a military base. In addition, many schools are surrounded by mines or military posts. This presents a serious threat to the personal integrity of the children.

Child recruitment

An estimated 14,000 child soldiers have been recruited in Columbia by the various armed factions. Despite the prohibition on involving children as child soldiers, the report states that the FARC/EP guerrilla movement still practises large-scale recruitment of children and youths. They kidnap minors and have them fight for them. Recruitment of minors also continues on the side of the paramilitaries. Demobilised fighters do not always reintegrate into society, instead regrouping in criminal gangs. The risk that the violence in Colombia will continue to spread is therefore increasing.

Demobilisation of minors is dramatically poor

According to figures from Human Rights Watch, approximately 20% of the paramilitary factions consist of minors. However, only a small percentage of children enter the demobilisation process. A total of 40,000 paramilitaries were demobilised between 2002 and June 2007, only 1024 of which were children. That means that thousands of children are not gaining access to the demobilisation and reintegration process and simply have to manage on their own. The reason for this is that many paramilitary factions send the children away before they themselves disarm, as using child soldiers is punishable by law. These 'released' children are very likely to return to armed factions for lack of alternative prospects.

Good reintegration essential

Moreover, one in every five children does not complete the reintegration process. Of the 1024 children who were demobilised, 212 children left the process, according to the Coalition's report. One of the causes may be that the standard demobilisation programme used by the Colombian government does not always correspond to how children see the world. In response, they run away, often returning to illegal armed groups. War Child believes that a lower drop-out rate is possible. On the basis of results achieved by programmes run by its local partners Corporación Juan Bosco, Taller de Vida and Enseñame a Pescar, War Child advises the Colombia government to focus more attention on psychosocial support and to allow options for an individual approach. Most young people receiving guidance from War Child Holland's partner organisations are able to find a place in society again.

War Child Holland in Colombia

War Child Holland supports the Colombian Coalition and five other local partner organisations. They work to improve the situation for children in some of the most conflict-affected and vulnerable regions of Colombia. The programmes focus on peace-building, on preventing the recruitment of children and youth by illegal armed groups, and on the reintegration of child soldiers.

For more information contact Aase Kretzschmar, aase@warchild.nl Download the report (Spanish language) at http://www.warchild.nl/?paginaid=57&contentid=684