from AMADOU NDIAYE in Dakar, Senegal
Senegal Bureau
DAKAR, (CAJ News) – THE unrelenting armed violence in the Sahel region is detrimental to the education and future of millions of children in the region.
This unrest has led to the closure of nearly 7 800 primary schools in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The number of closures has risen by 20 percent in the past year.
As a result, as of June 2023, around 1,4 million children were missing out on education.
Islamist groups are mostly the perpetrators.
The concern comes as the world commemorated the International Day for the Protection of Schools from Attack, marked annually on September 9.
There have also been cases of armed groups directly attacking schools and causing damage to school buildings in the Sahel.
Many children are internally displaced by the conflict and no longer have access to schooling.
The number of primary school closures is highest in Burkina Faso (5 318), followed by Mali (1 545) and Niger (958).
Many children in the region have also been killed and injured or have witnessed distressing attacks.
“Armed violence in the Sahel is robbing children of their education and futures,” Vishna Shah, Regional Director of Advocacy and Campaigns for Save the Children, said from Senegal.
The envoy called for the immediate end to the attacks. “Children and teachers need to be able to attend school without fear of violence. Children’s education cannot be put on hold.”
Governments and stakeholders in the Sahel have been urged to protect children’s right to an education, including implementing the Safe School Declaration and its guidelines.
By coincidence, the above mentioned countries are under military leadership after a string of coups in the region.
– CAJ News