Sierra Leone's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mrs. Francess Alghali, welcomed a delegation from the African Platform on Children Affected by Armed Conflict, an agency under the African Union. Leading the delegation was Her Excellency Jainaba Jagne, who expressed gratitude to the Government of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their support of AfCAAC's solidarity and knowledge-sharing mission in Sierra Leone. She commended Sierra Leone for their exceptional protocol and warm hospitality extended to the delegation.
Jagne emphasized that the primary goal of their mission was to gain insights from Sierra Leone's successful practices, strategies, and programs aimed at rehabilitating, reintegrating, and developing children affected by armed conflict. She underscored the African Union's unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights and well-being of children in conflict situations. Regrettably, she noted that children continued to endure high levels of violence in such contexts, including killings, injuries, abductions, sexual violence, recruitment by armed forces, indiscriminate attacks on schools and hospitals, and humanitarian access denial.
In response to these challenges, the African Union had intensified its efforts to combat violence against children throughout all stages of conflict, enshrined in various instruments such as the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. The African Platform on Children Affected by Armed Conflict was established within the African Union to prioritize children's rights and welfare in conflict situations and maintain a high profile for this issue among African decision-makers.
As part of their strategy, the platform selects countries for field visits and interactions with member states, including children and other stakeholders. The mission to Sierra Leone was framed as a solidarity and learning opportunity, particularly given the increase in conflicts on the continent in recent months. The delegation aimed to draw lessons from countries that had successfully supported their citizens in conflict and recovery, as Sierra Leone had done.
In response to the delegation's visit, Deputy Minister Alghali expressed appreciation for the African Union's support and highlighted Sierra Leone's commitment to consolidating peace and assisting its children. She mentioned post-war institutions, including the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration program and the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), which had been instrumental in addressing issues related to child soldiers and disadvantaged groups such as women and children affected by the conflict.
Although the DDR program had been dissolved, she encouraged the delegation to visit NaCSA, which continued to address issues related to the war's legacy. She also recommended that the team visit civil society organizations involved in reintegration, trauma counseling, and conflict resolution through methods rooted in African traditions, citing Fambul Tok as an example.
The delegation planned to visit other relevant ministries responsible for related projects and programs, including the Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Education Health and Sanitation, and the Ministry of Justice. The visit aimed to foster mutual learning and the sharing of best practices, ultimately contributing to the development of programs that promote the rights and well-being of children in post-conflict situations, with potential for replication in other member states.
Source: Adapted from the Directorate of Strategic Communications MoFAIC, Freetown.