UNICEF, Mozambique join efforts to prevent practice of child soldiers
March 8, 2022, 5:28 pm

UNICEF, Mozambique join efforts to prevent practice of child soldiers (File photo: Pixabay)

The Xinhua reported, that about 30 officials from the Ministry of Defense of Mozambique are to benefit from a training program aimed at equipping them with skills to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers particularly in the northern region of the country.

A note shared with Xinhua indicates that the training is in its second phase, following a memorandum of understanding signed among the ministry, the UNICEF, and the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security in 2021.

"We have commitments to the children's rights protection and one of the most known is the convention of children rights and most recently the declaration of safe schools," said Lindsay Shearer, the Child Protection in Emergencies Specialist in Mozambique addressing the opening of the program in Manica.

Music school in Mozambique (File photo: Pixabay)

Participants were called on to actively engage with the instructors and capitalize on the opportunity to clarify their doubts, so as to avoid any conflicts with the principles of human rights protection.

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The second phase courses will last for 10 days, after 100 officials were trained in the first phase.

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.