Speaking Wednesday, September 2, at a meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council on “Protecting Child Soldiers in Africa,” the Moroccan delegation stressed that children remain among the first victims of the continent’s ongoing conflicts, facing recruitment, violence and disruption to their education.
Morocco reaffirmed its opposition to the recruitment and use of children by armed groups, describing the practice as a serious violation of international humanitarian law and calling for stronger measures focused on prevention, protection and accountability.
The delegation also stressed the need for sustainable reintegration programs for children formerly associated with armed groups, including access to education, psychosocial support and vocational training.
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Morocco further called for measures to prevent their re-recruitment by addressing vulnerabilities such as poverty and exclusion, and urged that child protection and reintegration be systematically incorporated into disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programs and post-conflict peacebuilding efforts.
The delegation recalled the African Ministerial Conference on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of Child Soldiers, held in Rabat on Nov. 20, 2025, which resulted in the adoption of the “Rabat Declaration” as an African complement to existing international legal and institutional frameworks for child protection.
Morocco also emphasized the need to strengthen psychosocial care for children formerly associated with armed groups and support their sustainable reintegration into their communities.
