§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he is taking to ensure that weapons supplied to the Sierra Leone army are not used by child combatants. [124444]
§ Mr. HainWe are very concerned at reports that British weapons may be in the hands of child soldiers. This is why we sought and secured from the Government of Sierra Leone assurances that any UK-supplied weapons will be used only in accordance with established human rights principles and humanitarian law; and why the release programme of light weapons to the Government of Sierra Leone, as announced by the Defence Secretary on 23 May, will be carefully supervised by British military personnel on the ground with a view to ensuring that any British weapons only go to adult soldiers of the Sierra Leone army for training or for legitimate operational requirements.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made in respect of the use of child combatants by the Sierra Leone army; and if he will make a statement. [124445]
§ Mr. HainWe have raised the issue of child soldiers with President Kabbah. He has assured us that it is not his Government's policy to employ child soldiers, in accordance with Sierra Leonean law and its obligations under the convention of the Rights of the Child, and has issued instructions to his forces to immediately demobilise any child soldiers in their ranks.