Niger: Children targeted for recruitment by armed groups

An Amnesty International report published on 13 September 2021 states that increasing numbers of children are being targeted for recruitment by armed groups and killed in fighting in the region bordering Mali and Burkina Faso. Additionally, the report notes that militant groups like ISGS and‚ Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) have‚ been committing war crimes and other abuses,‚ including the murder of civilians and the targeting of schools.‚ Many children have been left traumatized after witnessing deadly attacks on their villages. Also, in some areas, "women and girls have been barred from activities outside the home, and risk abduction or forced marriage to fighters." World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "The recruitment and exploitation of children by armed groups is considered a serious form of violence against children. It is also fundamentally in violation of international law. JNIM in particular has intensified its efforts to recruit boys to its ranks and lures young men and teenagers by using incentives such as food, money and clothes. If the Nigerien government does not act to prevent this, militant groups active in the Tillaberi region will continue to recruit from a ready supply of young fighters, bolstering their capacity to conduct more violent attacks against civilians."