Channel 4 News, Thursday 31 March 2011
The army backing the disputed Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo calls on youths to enlist to help fight in the battle against his rival, Alassane Ouattara.
The call - for "young patriots...to pick up weapons to go and fight" - has fuelled fears that child soldiers, who were widely drafted into the front-line during the last outbreak of civil war eight years ago, are becoming a growing feature again as fighting intensifies.
Laurent Gbagbo - who refused to step down as President despite having been declared by the United Nations as the loser of last year's elections - has come under increasing pressure both internally and externally.
On Wednesday, the UN Security Council agreed to impose sanctions on the regime - including freezing its assets, banning travel and an embargo on the use of heavy weapons in the main city of Abidjan.
At the same time, Alassane Ouattara's forces have been making steady gains, including the capital, Yamoussoukro, and the major cocoa port of San Pedro.
Corinne Dufka - senior Africa researcher for Human Rights Watch - told Channel 4 News: "I've interviewed from recruitment camps in the past and child soldiers have been a big problem. I can't say if they are using them now. The UN have documented small scale use of child soldiers, but it is simply too difficult to monitor right now."
The army backing the disputed Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo calls on youths to enlist to help fight in the battle against his rival, Alassane Ouattara.
The call - for "young patriots...to pick up weapons to go and fight" - has fuelled fears that child soldiers, who were widely drafted into the front-line during the last outbreak of civil war eight years ago, are becoming a growing feature again as fighting intensifies.
Laurent Gbagbo - who refused to step down as President despite having been declared by the United Nations as the loser of last year's elections - has come under increasing pressure both internally and externally.
On Wednesday, the UN Security Council agreed to impose sanctions on the regime - including freezing its assets, banning travel and an embargo on the use of heavy weapons in the main city of Abidjan.
At the same time, Alassane Ouattara's forces have been making steady gains, including the capital, Yamoussoukro, and the major cocoa port of San Pedro.
Corinne Dufka - senior Africa researcher for Human Rights Watch - told Channel 4 News: "I've interviewed from recruitment camps in the past and child soldiers have been a big problem. I can't say if they are using them now. The UN have documented small scale use of child soldiers, but it is simply too difficult to monitor right now."

