There are 5,000 under age soldiers serving in the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), says a new report by the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children on children in northern Uganda. The report, presented to Parliament yesterday, says child recruitment into the army is caused by difficulty to identify those above 18 years. However, State Minister for Defence Ruth Nankabirwa said UPDF recruitment policy does not allow those below 18 years to be recruited into the army. Read more at The Monitor.

Twelve youth from northern Uganda have traveled to Kampala to ask the government to allow them be part of the Juba peace talks. The youth represent thousands of their peers in the north who have suffered at the hands of the LRA. Addressing a press conference on the campaign dubbed "Youth Drive for Peace," Judith Akera, team spokesperson, said that the campaign is aimed at discussing key issues concerning the youth and their role in the peace building process. During the five days of meetings, the youth also have interacted with their peers from other parts of the country. She said, "The meeting enabled us share experiences, strategies for youth engagement and social integration in the peace building process in northern Uganda...It also initiated us in developing a common north-south strategy in youth participation and involvement in the peacebuilding process."

Africa Odong, the team leader of the campaign said, "We want safe homes not camps, a home free from land mines, clean water and sanitation and most of all a home without war. The time is now or never so we call upon all the youths in Uganda to join us as we continue to advocate peace in the north." Youth constitute over 60% of the country's population, but have been some of the most disadvantaged groups. Read more at The Monitor.

Daniel Graeber, head of the Foreign Policy Association's War Crimes blog, has written about the "timeless struggle of child soldiers." In the post, he describes the forced abduction of over 30,000 children by the Lord's Resistance Army. Read the post here.