"After his visit to the Republic of Chechnya of the Russian Federation in 2002, my Special Representative (Olara Otunnu) reported that insurgency groups continued to enlist children and use them to plant landmines and explosives," the report says. "This situation remains unchanged."
In the Sudan, children have been discharged in the south and re-recruited, with the result that "thousands of children remain within the ranks of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A)" and "several thousand children are also serving with the South Sudan Unity Movement," it says.
In the Sudan, children have been discharged in the south and re-recruited, with the result that "thousands of children remain within the ranks of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A)" and "several thousand children are also serving with the South Sudan Unity Movement," it says.
The SPLM/A has pledged to release 2,000 children by the end of the year, the report says, and the Sudanese Government has created a task force on demobilizing youngsters.
Recruitment, release and re-recruitment were also taking place in northern Uganda, where the Lord's Resistance Army had abducted more than 8,000 children in the past year, the highest number in the 17 years of civil strife. The Government's Uganda People's Defence Forces and its allied Local Defence Units also recruit children, it says.
Recruitment, release and re-recruitment were also taking place in northern Uganda, where the Lord's Resistance Army had abducted more than 8,000 children in the past year, the highest number in the 17 years of civil strife. The Government's Uganda People's Defence Forces and its allied Local Defence Units also recruit children, it says.
In Colombia, the paramilitary Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) released about 1,000 children through a programme of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare. During a unilateral ceasefire this year, AUC demobilized 81 children younger than 18, including six girls, through the Roman Catholic Church, the report says.
"Despite these developments, approximately 7,000 children remain within the ranks of (Colombian) armed groups and an additional 7,000 children are involved in urban militias, many of which are associated with these armed groups," it says.
"Despite these developments, approximately 7,000 children remain within the ranks of (Colombian) armed groups and an additional 7,000 children are involved in urban militias, many of which are associated with these armed groups," it says.