African Union protects children from conflicts, crisis in Africa
Yesterday, June 16, was the International Day of the African Child. The Day is celebrated every year by the African Union (AU), in line with its resolution to commemorate the 1976 massacre of Soweto Children, who were attacked for taking to the streets to demand their right to racism-free education in the then apartheid South Arica.
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To mark the Day this year, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child chose the theme “Conflict and Crisis in Africa, Protecting all Children’s Rights”.
This is to focus attention on the numerous conflicts on the African continent, that have risen as a result of activities by religious extremist groups, including Boko Haram, and other extremist groups that operate in parts of Africa, that have unleashed hardships on populations, particularly women, girls and children and to call for resolution of these conflicts.
To mark the event in Tamale, in the Northern Region, there was a street procession by schoolchildren, to draw the attention of the government, all political parties and stakeholders to pledge themselves to peace and do everything in their power to protect the rights of children before, during and after the 2016 general elections.
Protecting children’s rights
The day which was focused on the theme “Election 2016, protecting the rights of all children in Ghana” is also to draw the attention of Ghanaians, especially political parties not to do anything to plunge the nation into violent conflict since it is women, children and the aged that suffer during such conflicts.
Some of the placards that were on display during the procession by the schoolchildren through some of the principal streets in the Tamale Metropolis read “My Rights to Education Depends on a peaceful election. Please protect my right” , “ The Future of Ghana Depends on Children So Let’s Protect Them Against Violence in Election 2016,” “ Political Leaders Please Accept Results In Order to Maintain Peace After Election 2016” among others.
The procession was organised by ActionAid, World Vision, Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), Regional Advisory Information and Network Systems (RAINS), Right to Play, Plan International, Ghana and the Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (CCFC), all child-centred non-governmental organisations (NGOs), under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Speaking at a durbar later to mark the day at the Tamale Sports Stadium, the acting Country Director of the Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (CCFC), Mr William Anim-Dankwa on behalf of all the child protection agencies, advised politicians not to exploit children for their political advantage, since it had the potential of corrupting their young minds forever.
Electoral disputes
Mr Anim-Dankwa, who is also the Chairman of the Organising Committee also called on government to empower state institutions with resources to be able to deal with the issues that were likely to plunge the nation into the direction of electoral disputes, conflicts and disagreements.
He suggested that children should be insulated from participating in elections, and called on political parties to show maturity in their discourse during the campaign season by avoiding insults and language that could inflame passions.
The Northern Regional Population Officer, Mr Alhassan Amadu, who spoke on the “The effects of conflicts on children,” appealed to the adult population of the country to seek the best interest of children at all times and urged political parties to desist from recruiting children to vote for them in the general elections.
Children’s Appeal
Some children who were interviewed said, they had read about and watched post-election conflicts in some countries on television and in the newspapers, and therefore appealed to the government and the contesting political parties to protect the current peace in the country before, during and after the elections to enable children enjoy their childhood.