A United Nations official has condemned all sides in Afghanistan's conflict for using child soldiers, noting that while government forces have reduced the number of under-age recruits, insurgent groups continue to train large numbers of child fighters.
Leila Zerrougui, special representative of the UN Secretary General for children and armed conflict, said the government has made progress on the issue. However, she added that Afghan Local Police — who often operate independently from central oversight — are major perpetrators of child recruitment among Afghan forces.
She says that insurgent groups recruit more children in areas where the fighting is fiercest.
The Taliban, whose war against the government is in its 15th year, mainly recruits children in provinces bordering Pakistan, Zerrougui says.
