Hundreds – and perhaps even thousands – of children living in the conflict zones in the Central Sahel region across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are being lured, abducted or forced to join non-state armed groups, including extremist groups.

A report commissioned by Save the Children said the armed groups had launched a “new deliberate and calculated child recruitment strategy” to attract young people after thousands of had schools closed in the past two years because of increasing violence and COVID-19.

Some children were forcefully recruited into conflict, others were driven by poverty; some felt the need to fulfil a religious duty or joined for security and protection. But some were attracted by promises of pay, phones or motorbikes by the armed groups.

The security crisis that has ravaged the Sahel for nine years has caused major destabilisation.

In the Liptako-Gourma region – known as the “three-border” or “tri-border” region – 6,500 people were killed from January 2020 to January 2021, leaving many children at high risk of illegal recruitment.

Save the Children said there were more than 1.4 million displaced people in the region, more than half of whom were younger than 15.

The report said it was difficult to determine exactly how many children were associated with armed groups but researchers found the recruited children had dropped out of school or did not have access to a school system.

Some children as young as seven were illegally recruited to gather intelligence on local communities for the armed groups.

Eric Hazard, the pan-African policy director for Save the Children, said: “Violence, poverty and insecurity threaten the safety of millions of children in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Children in the region face a serious protection crisis and they need access to education. Of the US$200 million needed to respond to the education crisis in the Sahel, only 11% has been mobilised so far; more than 4,000 schools are closed in the region because of insecurity and Covid-19, putting more than 800,000 girls and boys at increased risk of recruitment.

“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, eight million children were out of school due to violence and insecurity. The longer they are out of school, the risk of forced recruitment will only increase. For a child in conflict, school provides access to a safe space to learn, protection from risks such as recruitment into armed groups and provides a crucial sense of routine and calm.”

In a new policy brief released on October 20, Save the Children called on governments in the Central Sahel region and the international community to commit to funding education in emergencies and protect children from recruitment.

A report by Amnesty International published in September, said that in Niger’s Tillabéri region, an entire generation was growing up surrounded by death and destruction. Armed groups had repeatedly attacked schools and food reserves and were targeting children for recruitment.

“The Nigerien government and its international partners must urgently take action to monitor and prevent further abuses and protect the basic rights of all those affected by this deadly conflict – especially children,” said Matt Wells, Amnesty International’s Crisis Response deputy director.

The humanitarian organisation said the Nigerien authorities had failed to protect civilians. Witnesses to attacks described how, despite their urgent calls, Niger’s Defence and Security Forces frequently arrived long after the killing and looting had ended.

The conflict in Tillabéri had escalated significantly since the start of this year. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, violence against civilians had led to 544 conflict-related deaths between January 1 and July 29 in Niger, already exceeding the 397 people killed last year.

Armed groups had killed more than 60 children in Niger’s tri-border area this year.

Amnesty International said the recruitment of children had increased significantly this year in the Torodi department, near the Burkina Faso border.

Witnesses said the extremists targeted younger men and boys aged between 15 and 17, and possibly younger. They offered the children incentives, such as food, money and clothes, to attract recruits.

Recruits reportedly received weapons training for periods ranging from one week to three months. Extremists were also known to use children as spies, scouts and lookouts, among other functions defined as participation in hostilities under international law.

The relentless attacks had a profound impact on children’s mental health and wellbeing.

Amnesty International documented symptoms of trauma and distress among children, including nightmares, disturbed sleep patterns, fear, anxiety and loss of appetite. Many reported how the sound of motorbikes triggered memories of attacks.