Children continue to fight in 13 conflicts

CHILD soldiers are still being recruited in at least 13 countries from Afghanistan to Uganda, 10 years after international guidelines were agreed to eradicate their use, a British-based charity said last night.

Save the Children said hundreds of thousands of underage soldiers were being forced to fight around the world despite guidelines laid down in the Cape Town Principles, agreed in 1997, which established 18 as the minimum age for recruitment.

“The situation is still dire. Hundreds of thousands of children are still living in misery due to association with armed groups and forces,” Save the Children said in a statement.