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
of abduction 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 and
Norway, the AU Commission and Save the Children.
Speaking on the occasion, President Buhari said:
”A number of school girls 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 rights in any country
is an indelible dent on the African consciousness and is to be deplored
and condemned,” he said.
Reminding AU Member States of their commitments to protecting 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-radicalisation and demobilisation 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.