The killing of child soldiers: The dilemma facing Gustavo Petro’s government – EL PAÍS English

Report on Military Operations in Colombia and Their Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

Recent military operations in Colombia, authorized by the national government, have resulted in significant casualties, including the deaths of numerous forcibly recruited minors. These events, particularly an airstrike in the Guaviare region on November 13, raise critical questions regarding the state’s adherence to international humanitarian law and its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The incidents directly challenge progress on Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), specifically its targets on reducing violence and protecting children from abuse and exploitation. Furthermore, the underlying issue of child recruitment by armed groups highlights systemic failures related to SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), which are root causes of the conflict’s persistence.

Analysis of Recent Military Engagements

A series of military actions targeting FARC dissidents have failed to neutralize high-value targets while inflicting a heavy toll on child combatants. These operations underscore a severe conflict between national security objectives and the protection of vulnerable populations.

1. Guaviare Operation (November 13): An airstrike targeting a guerrilla column of 150 combatants resulted in 19 fatalities. Of the deceased, seven were identified as minors who had been forcibly recruited, with ages ranging from 13 to 17. The primary targets of the operation escaped.
2. Amazonas Department Operation (October): A separate military engagement resulted in the deaths of four individuals and the capture of four others. All involved were minors, with one wounded child being only 10 years old. The army reported the operation neutralized a security detail composed of children aged 10 to 15.
3. Previous Attacks (August): Two other attacks earlier in the year resulted in the deaths of an additional four children.

Implications for SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The government’s actions and justifications represent a significant setback for achieving SDG 16. The policy reversal by the current administration, which had previously pledged to restrict operations involving minors, has created a political and ethical crisis that undermines the foundations of peace and justice.

• Violation of SDG 16.2: The deaths of at least 15 children in these operations constitute a grave failure to meet the target of ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against children. The state’s actions have resulted in the deaths of children who are themselves victims of war crimes, namely forced recruitment.
• Erosion of Institutional Integrity: The government’s justification—that halting such operations would encourage armed groups to use children as human shields—creates a perverse paradox that weakens the rule of law and institutional accountability (SDG 16.3). This inconsistency has alienated political allies and human rights advocates.
• Failure of Security and Intelligence Institutions: The inability to surgically target guerrilla leadership without causing extensive collateral damage, particularly to children, points to significant deficiencies in field intelligence and operational planning. This questions the effectiveness of national institutions tasked with preventing violence and crime (SDG 16.A).

Socio-Economic Drivers of Conflict and Child Recruitment

The persistent recruitment of children by armed groups is a symptom of deeper developmental failures that prevent the achievement of several interconnected SDGs. A purely military approach fails to address these root causes.

• Poverty and Economic Exclusion (SDG 1 & SDG 8): Recruitment thrives in regions characterized by extreme poverty and the absence of the state. Armed groups exploit this by offering financial incentives, such as payments of around $25, which can appear substantial to children with no access to decent work or economic opportunities.
• Inequality and State Absence (SDG 10): The phenomenon is concentrated in inaccessible, rural regions where state presence is negligible. This deepens inequalities and leaves communities, particularly children, vulnerable and without protection or access to basic services.
• Lack of Quality Education (SDG 4): Recruiters are known to target children in and around rural schools. For many children in these neglected areas, the lack of viable educational and professional pathways makes joining an armed group seem like the only available future.
• Modern Recruitment Challenges: The use of social media platforms like TikTok by armed groups to recruit minors demonstrates an evolving threat that requires a modern, multi-faceted response beyond conventional security measures.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • The article’s central theme is the armed conflict in Colombia, military bombings, guerrilla warfare, and the resulting deaths, which directly relates to promoting peaceful societies. It also highlights failures in state intelligence and political decision-making, touching upon the effectiveness and accountability of institutions.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • The article explicitly discusses the forced recruitment of children as soldiers. This practice is one of the worst forms of child labor, which SDG 8 aims to eradicate.
• SDG 1: No Poverty
  • The text links child recruitment to underlying socioeconomic conditions, stating that recruiters find “poverty, neglect, and an absent state” in rural areas. It mentions that for many children, joining an armed group is seen as “the only path that offers a future,” connecting the conflict to a lack of economic opportunities.
• SDG 4: Quality Education
  • The article notes that recruiters specifically target children in “rural schools.” This implies that the educational environment is not safe and that the lack of quality education and future prospects makes children vulnerable to recruitment, undermining the goal of inclusive and equitable education for all.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
     • The article details multiple violent events, including a bombing that killed “19 rank-and-file combatants,” seven of whom were minors, and other attacks that resulted in the deaths of “four more children.” This directly relates to the goal of reducing violence and death rates from conflict.
   • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
     • The “forcibly recruited” minors and the description of child recruitment as a “terrifying and silent reality” directly address the exploitation and violence against children that this target aims to eliminate.
   • Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions, in particular in developing countries, to build capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.
     • The article questions the “state of Colombian intelligence,” mentioning a “failure in field intelligence” and criticism of the president for relieving experienced officers. This points to a need to strengthen national security and intelligence institutions to conduct more effective and precise operations.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.
     • This target is directly addressed through the article’s focus on the “recruitment of hundreds of children every year” by armed groups. The text describes how children as young as 10 are used as soldiers, which is explicitly mentioned in the target as one of the worst forms of child labor.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Number of conflict-related deaths, particularly of minors.
  • The article provides specific figures that can be used as indicators for Target 16.1. It mentions “19 rank-and-file combatants died,” “Seven were minors,” “four more children killed,” and a “trail of more than a dozen dead children.” Tracking these numbers measures the level of violence.
• Number of reported cases of forced child recruitment.
  • This is a direct indicator for Targets 16.2 and 8.7. The article states, “In 2024, the Prosecutor’s Office received 604 reports. But in the first half of this year alone, the department of Cauca registered 800 cases.” These statistics quantify the scale of child recruitment.
• Age of victims and recruits.
  • The article specifies the ages of victims, such as a 13-year-old and a 17-year-old who were killed, and mentions that a security detail was allegedly made up of “soldiers between the ages of 10 and 15.” This data is crucial for monitoring the severity of child exploitation in conflict.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

Source: english.elpais.com