Mali: COVID-19 and conflict lead to rise in child trafficking

Peace and Security Child trafficking is rising in Mali, along with forced labour and forced recruitment by armed groups, due to conflict, insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Tuesday. Some 230 cases of child recruitment were reported during the first half of the year, compared with 215 cases for the whole of 2019, according to a UNHCR-backed study. Armed groups are also trafficking children to work in gold mines, with the profits being used to fuel the arms trade and finance violence, the agency added. Meanwhile, adults operating in the mines are subjected to extortionate “taxes”. Worst forms of abuse “As a result of conflict and socio-economic...