United Nations: Child Soldiers Are Swelling Fighters' Ranks In Central African Republic

Photo: A child soldier fighting for the Seleka rebel coalition stands in front of the presidential palace in Bangui March 25, 2013. Credit: Reuters/Ange Aboa

Child Soldiers Swell Fighters' Ranks In Central African Republic: U.N. -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The number of child soldiers in Central African Republic has more than doubled to as many as 6,000 in recent months as self-defense militia have sprung up to counter waves of attacks by former rebels, the United Nations said on Friday.

World powers, led by France, are scrambling to contain a crisis that Paris and U.N. officials have warned could lead to genocide in Central African Republic, which slipped into chaos after rebels ousted the president in March.

Some 400,000 people have fled their homes since the uprising and the tit-for-tat killings that followed.

UNICEF, the U.N.'s children's agency, warned of a complex crisis that has seen local communities set up self-defense groups to halt abuses by the northern, mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance that swept to power.

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Update #1: Number of child soldiers in CAR has nearly doubled since March: UN -- AFP
Update #2: UNICEF says up to 6,000 child soldiers fighting in Central African Republic -- Euronews

My Comment: The problem of child soldiers is not only isolated to the Central African Republic .... Colombia, the Kurds, DRC, and even Al Qaeda have used (and are using) child soldiers.