Child soldiers liberated in Mozambique by government troops
In Mozambique, according to the UN children’s aid organization Unicef, government troops liberated child soldiers who had been trained as fighters by jihadists.
the essentials in brief
- 3,300 dead and 800,000 displaced in four years.
Unicef spokesman James Elder announced on Tuesday in Geneva. Elder did not want to comment on the number of children who were delivered – and cited ongoing negotiations as justification. Elders emphasized that the children were not allowed to be freed from their kidnappers and that the government troops had “come to the rescue”.
Jihadist groups have been trying to establish a caliphate in Cabo Delgado province since the end of 2017. This province is on the border with Tanzania and is rich in natural gas, but poor.
Last week, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned that several hundred children had been kidnapped by jihadists. They were to be trained to be fighters in camps. According to elders, there has also been sexual violence against girls and forced marriages.
The jihadist fighters in Mozambique are known as al-Shabab. Since the uprising began four years ago, 3,300 people have been killed and 800,000 more displaced.
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