Forced child recruitment in Tindouf sparks global outrage
The international community has raised alarms over serious allegations of forced child recruitment in the Tindouf camps, located in southwestern Algeria, according to pro-Moroccan outlet Atalayar.
Several human rights organisations have spoken out, calling for immediate action to halt these practices, which constitute severe violations of international conventions on children’s rights.
According to Al-Arab, the African Organisation for Human Rights (AOHR) has strongly condemned the use of minors in armed conflicts.
The organisation highlighted that such actions not only jeopardise children’s futures but also deny them basic rights, including education and the chance to grow up in a safe environment.
In a statement, the AOHR urged the international community, led by the United Nations and the African Union, to fulfil their responsibilities and take immediate action to stop these violations.
The forced child recruitment in Tindouf is not a new issue.
According to reports by the Independent Commission for Human Rights in Africa, fundamental rights in these camps are systematically violated, including restrictions on movement, social isolation, and a lack of access to education and economic opportunities, as reported by Atalayar.
Furthermore, reports indicate that children in Tindouf are subjected to strict military and ideological indoctrination, being used as soldiers, spies, forced labourers, or even human shields.
The International Research Centre on the Prevention of Child Soldiers has issued an urgent appeal from Geneva, calling for global mobilisation to ensure the safe return of minors forcibly recruited.
Similarly, the organisation “Hand Off My Child” has condemned the exploitation of children in armed conflicts, emphasising that such tactics constitute war crimes that should be prosecuted before the International Criminal Court.
Figures like Pedro Ignacio Altamirano, President of the Altamirano Foundation, have referred to the Tindouf camps as “illegal detention centres”, criticising the inhumane conditions in which the minors live.
Additionally, Mohamed Salem Abdel Fattah, Director of the Saharawi Observatory for Media and Human Rights, has raised concerns about the forced indoctrination that children endure in so-called “military schools”, where they are taught extremist ideologies and subjected to rigorous military training and severe punishment.
The gravity of these accusations has prompted various NGOs to urge the UN Human Rights Council to launch an independent investigation and to demand that Algeria take responsibility for safeguarding human rights in the camps.
The situation of children in Tindouf requires urgent international intervention.
This is not only a matter of protecting children from violence and exploitation but also of breaking the cycle of abuse that perpetuates violence in the region.
The international community has both a moral and legal obligation to act swiftly, ensuring that these minors regain their right to a safe childhood, free from violence, and access to education, offering them hope for a better future.
Atalayar
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