Rising Child Recruitment by Armed Groups in Syria Sparks Concern
In an article published Wednesday, The Associated Press reports a disturbing increase in child recruitment by armed groups in Syria. As the nation’s conflict continues to simmer, the case of 13-year-old Peyal Aqil has thrown this issue into stark relief. Aqil vanished last month after being approached by a recruiter from the Revolutionary Youth group on her way home from a school exam.
Despite her mother’s pleas to local authorities, Aqil did not return until a month later, having escaped from the group’s training camp. She represents an alarming trend highlighted by a recent United Nations report, which notes a steady increase in child recruitment by Syrian armed groups over the past three years.
A significant proportion of these recruitments are attributed to the US-allied Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and associated groups, according to the UN. However, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, al-Qaida-linked Tahrir al-Sham, and Syrian government forces and pro-government militias have also been implicated.
Despite a 2019 agreement with the UN to halt the enlistment of children, SDF-affiliated groups continue to be associated with child recruitment. Some critics argue that the SDF-affiliated administration is turning a blind eye to ongoing child recruitment within its areas of control.
