Speaking at a panel on extremism in Africa, the CEO of the International Research Center for the Prevention of Child Soldiers in Dakhla, Abdelkader Filali, highlighted the role of this new research structure with international vocation and the missions it has been assigned to ensure the protection of child soldiers in conflict areas.
“The choice of Morocco to host this major center is not accidental,” said Filali, also a professor at the University of Ottawa, noting that the Kingdom has become a provider of peace at the regional, continental and international levels, through various mechanisms and instruments, both in Africa and in other countries.
The Kingdom is currently ranked among the top 11 contributors of peacekeepers in the world and second in the Arab world, he said, calling for the condemnation of all forms of exploitation of children and their involvement in armed conflicts.
“Children enlisted represent projects of extremist elements, which could threaten security and stability in the region,” said the academician, referring to the exploitation of children in the Tindouf camps, southern Algeria, exposed by several books.
The Center will address in a proactive manner on the examination and monitoring of the phenomenon of recruitment of child soldiers worldwide, he said, noting that the structure has executives and academics from all continents, which will be equipped with mechanisms to monitor and follow up violations in conflict areas around the world.
The ultimate goal is therefore to provide accurate data in order to formulate an informed action through academic research, based on an approach of accuracy, credibility and monitoring.
The Center, which considers child recruitment an inhumane crime, aims to increase efforts to monitor the recruitment of child soldiers worldwide, without exception.
