The US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday denied allegations of child recruitment among its ranks.
Human Rights Watch, a US-based international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights, said earlier this week that the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the leading component of the SDF military alliance in northeast Syria, has been recruiting children, including girls, and using some in hostilities despite pledges to stop the practice.
The SDF said in an online statement that the observations in the HRW report are only individual violations and do not reflect the group’s system.
“The competent authorities in our forces will investigate these violations in coordination with the self-administration in northern Syria to overcome these violations and demobilize the children in question, and punish violators under the laws and regulations to which our forces are committed,” the SDF statement read.
The SDF reiterated that their forces are committed to the protocols issued by the United Nations or humanitarian organizations on the laws of protection of children in wars.
“The YPG, which form the main part of our forces, have signed the Geneva Call Protocol on non-state armed forces,” the statement added.
Additionally, the SDF explained that the Geneva Call organization is continously touring areas where the SDF troops are and observing their training.
The Kurdish-led forces confirmed they are in contact with UN-related organizations, including UNICEF, to discuss mechanisms to overcome the violations mentioned in the HRW report.
Shiyar Omer / Northern Syrian
