The African Human Rights Organization has voiced deep concern over the continued recruitment of children in the Tindouf camps, considering this violation a blatant breach of international conventions on children's rights, particularly the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.
In a statement received by Assahifa, the organization condemned these "inhumane" practices that expose children to significant risks. It emphasized that using children in armed conflicts threatens their future and deprives them of their most fundamental rights, such as education and the right to live in a safe and stable environment.
In its statement, the African Human Rights Organization called on the international community—particularly the United Nations and the African Union—to take responsibility and urgently intervene to end these violations and protect the children in the camps. At the same time, it urged the responsible parties in the camps to immediately halt the recruitment of children and grant them their right to a dignified and secure life.
The organization further stressed the need for international human rights organizations to launch an independent investigation into these violations and ensure that those responsible for recruiting children are brought to justice. It reaffirmed its commitment to defending children's rights and the need to work towards ending all forms of their exploitation.
In a related context, the issue of child recruitment in Tindouf camps was previously discussed during a side event held alongside the 56th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva last June. The event was organized by the International Civil Diplomacy Group, bringing together numerous experts who highlighted the ongoing violations of children's rights in refugee camps, particularly in Tindouf.
During the discussion, Judith Segara, a Spanish activist, addressed the psychological and ethical effects suffered by children recruited in armed conflicts, noting that they endure violations of their fundamental rights, which hinder their behavioral development.
For his part, Daniel Heiner, a former Swiss diplomat, stressed the need for Europe to act against child recruitment, emphasizing that the European Union must recognize the serious security threat posed by child soldiers.
Meanwhile, Matteo Domenici, a political analyst, described the phenomenon of child recruitment in conflicts as a "global cancer", warning of the increasing number of recruited children in the Sahel region and Tindouf and urging the international community to take urgent action.
Similarly, Pedro Ignacio Altamirano, president of the Altamirano Foundation, denounced the deplorable conditions in the Tindouf camps, referring to them as "illegal detention centers." He also condemned the repeated human rights violations in these camps, including the military exploitation and recruitment of children.
Altamirano further stressed that the international community must recognize Tindouf camps as illegal detention sites and take necessary measures to ensure respect for human rights in these areas.
In this regard, Moulay Lahcen Naji, president of the Independent Committee for Human Rights in Africa, pointed out that fundamental rights in Tindouf, such as the right to life and physical integrity, are being gravely violated. He also underscored the urgent need to enforce international humanitarian law to protect refugees and children in the camps.
Naji emphasized that restrictions on refugee movement in Tindouf contribute to their isolation and deprive them of economic opportunities, calling for urgent measures to safeguard their rights.
