Nigerian militia group release more than 800 children, UN says
The Civilian Joint Task Force includes children ‘pursuing military objectives‘ but also many in support roles, so reintegration into society might be easier than for those released by Boko Haram
Geneva — A militia fighting against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria has released 833 children from its own ranks, some as young as 11 years old, UN children's agency Unicef said on Friday. Unicef spokesperson Christophe Boulierac said the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) was formed in 2013 by vigilante groups in Borno state to fight Boko Haram, which itself gained international notoriety for kidnapping schoolgirls in the town of Chibok. The CJTF signed an action plan in September 2017 to end child recruitment, and the release of the children — 40% of whom were 15 years old or younger — was its first formal release. "This is a significant milestone in ending the recruitment and use of children, but many more children remain in the ranks of other armed groups in either combat or support roles," Unicef Nigeria deputy representative Pernille Ironside said in a statement. The released children were among 1,175 boys and 294 girls who had been identified as bein...
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