Human rights group urges warring parties not to recruit children

An international human rights monitoring agency has called on all parties involved in the civil war in Sierra Leone not to recruit children as soldiers and to demobilize all minors in their ranks. The appeal was made in letters sent by Human Rights Watch (HRW) to leaders of the government and rebels. President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah has made repeated international commitments to stop recruiting and begin demobilizing all children in pro-government forces, although HRW expressed "deep concern" that large numbers of children in Bo and Kenema had reportedly been recruited by the pro-government Kamajor civil defence force. The rebel Revolutionary United Front has also been accused of abducting children and using them as soldiers during its campaign to topple the government. For copies of the letters please visit the HRW website