President Muhammadu Buhari Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
reassured Nigerians and the international community of the steadfast commitment
of his government to secure the freedom of all children and other victims
abducted by terrorists in the country.
The President renewed the pledge at a High-Level Breakfast
Dialogue on ‘‘Stop the War on Children Affected by Armed Conflicts, Dividend of
Silencing the Guns’’, a side event during the 33rd AU Summit.
The programme was co-sponsored by the Governments of
Nigeria, Uganda, Norway, the AU Commission and Save the Children.
Speaking on the occasion, President Buhari said:
”A number of schoolgirls from Chibok and Dapchi earlier
abducted by Boko Haram have regained their freedom.
”We commend the gallant efforts of the Multinational Joint
Task Force and the partners in supporting the reintegration of the girls.
”Let me categorically reassure you of the steadfast
commitment of the Government of Nigeria to ensure the freedom of all kidnapped
children from the shackles of Boko Haram.
”We will not relent until every child, boy, or girl, every
Nigerian adult in custody of Boko Haram, is freed!.”
The President urged African countries and stakeholders on
the continent to work fervently towards strengthening the protection of
children from the six grave violations during armed conflict.
The six grave violations are killing and maiming of
children, recruitment or use of children as soldiers, sexual violence against
children, abduction of children, attacks against schools or hospitals and
denial of humanitarian access for children.
President Buhari expressed concern that these grave
violations against children have continued unabated.
”It is for this reason that the Nigerian government has
severally condemned, and is combating frontally the dreadful activities of
terrorist groups like Boko Haram and the so-called Islamic State.
”Of course, the severity of these grave violations varies
from country to country.
”The incidence of a single violation of children’s rights in
any country is an indelible dent on the African consciousness and is to be
deplored and condemned,” he said.
Reminding the AU Member States of their commitments to
protect children affected by armed conflicts in Africa, President Buhari
reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the protection of children in armed conflict
zones.
He also used the occasion to outline some concrete measures
taken by Nigeria towards tackling the root causes of child soldiers and the
misfortune of out-of-school children.
”To stem, the tide of out-of-school children Nigeria
embarked on an all-inclusive reconstruction of schools vandalized by the
ravaging terrorist activities of Boko Haram, while returning children are
rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.
”Our Nomadic Education policy is also being implemented to
reduce the number of out-of-school children. We have also prioritized
de-radicalization and demobilization of ex-combatant children of Boko Haram
insurgents,” President Buhari said.
The Nigerian leader also called on the AU Peace and Security
Council to energetically champion the strategy to stop the war on children and
adopt the Child Protection Architecture within the African Peace and Security
Architecture and the Roadmap on Silencing the Guns.
”The call to action is now for accountability by all African
States to the rights of the children caught up in wars.
”Let us stop the war on children. This is a wake-up call for
us all to create the enabling environment for rooting out the impact of armed
conflicts against our children across the continent,” he said.
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