Trafficking in human beings by recruiting children… Violations of the Syrian National Army in military actions without any accountability

The area of ​​violations occupies a wide space among the factions of the “Syrian National Army” backed by the Turkish occupation. In the occupied and controlled areas in Syria, the violations do not stop at the limits of arrest, kidnapping and killing only, but also extend to the systematic demographic change by the Turkish occupation, In addition to the process of child recruitment in which they are exploited and trafficked.

During the entire decade, the Syrian war witnessed many violations, including the recruitment of children, which were used by all armed forces on Syrian territory.
The recruitment of children under the age of eighteen is a violation of international law, and it is a widespread violation in the areas controlled by the “Syrian National Army,” in addition to its record of confiscating the property of indigenous people, with repeated cases of arbitrary arrests against civilians, under the pretext of “dealing with Kurdish forces.” In addition to imposing royalties on Kurdish civilians to allow them to harvest their seasons, and other things.

According to what observers of the daily reality of living in Afrin told ASO News Network, different reasons lie behind the recruitment of children by the military forces. Opinions are divided between the recruitment of children for reasons, including war and child exploitation, the need to work as a source of livelihood with the approval of their families, and the issue of protection; Where children join armed factions for protection as a result of the chaos of weapons spread in areas controlled by the Syrian National Army in a systematic manner, a group of factors that push children to join the armed factions

The Syrian war witnessed a great deal of exploitation of child recruitment in the conflict in the country, and this was indicated by international reports that most of the military forces on the ground were involved in conscription, the most dangerous of which was the attempt to ideologically recruit children along with carrying weapons, by subjecting them to legal courses and instilling a radical culture in their minds. On top of this was the use of children by the Islamic State (ISIS) in its extremist approach, and preparing children for wars and killing under the name of “cubs of the caliphate.”

The scene was not in the best condition for factions such as Haya’at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra). In the latest UN report on child recruitment, “Al-Nusra” ranked first among the opposition forces that carried out compulsory recruitment, followed by factions in the “Syrian National Army.” (formerly the Free Syrian Army) followed by the Syrian Democratic Forces, and then the Syrian government forces.

Although the “Syrian National Army” affiliated with the Syrian Interim Government and the opposition Syrian National Coalition, has not issued any official decision regarding compulsory conscription, nor has it imposed it within their areas of influence, but many cases of compulsory conscription exist in its ranks.

As described by a military source in the “Syrian National Army” (whose name was not revealed), about 30% of the total number of members of these factions, which range between 50 and 70,000, are minor children, which is an approximate number, according to the source familiar with the mechanism of monitoring and follow-up of the camps and checkpoints of the “Syrian National Army”.

The military source spoke about the spread of children at the checkpoints and said that children are accepted to join the national army factions without the slightest hesitation, and upon acceptance, they are subjected to military and legal courses for a period of two months, then they are sent to one of the headquarters, to start working on the lines of contact, and he also confirmed that they are sent to the battlefronts, as this is a main base for the “Syrian National Army” and jihadist groups in Syria.

Recruitment as a systematic process…
Observers of the “Syrian National Army” backed by the Turkish occupation, classify the child recruitment mechanism as systematic, and see that it takes advantage of the harsh conditions experienced by civilians, especially those living in camps, displaced families from other Syrian governorates and families settled in the occupied areas such as Afrin and Serekaniye \ Ras al-Ain, which opens the way for parents to push their children to join the “Syrian National Army”

Livelihood conditions pushes the families to submit the military…
“Mahmoud Khalil”, from the countryside of Idlib says to ASO News Network that the the most important reason to pushes the families to join the” Syrian National Army”, and “Haya’at Tahrir al-Sham” is the deterioration of the living situation, the lack of life basics and education, and the tyranny of weapons, “there are no longer Opportunities for families’ sources of income, especially the displaced, and the settlers among them, which prompts families to send their children to get a monthly salary that does not exceed the equivalent of 40 dollars per month (between 300 and 400 Turkish liras).

Louay Mohammad, the pseudonym of a 17-year-old who defected from the ranks of the “Syrian National Army,” as he identifies himself, told ASO News Network that he joined the “Amashat” faction of the “Syrian National Army,” after he was displaced with his family. From the Jabal Al-Zawiya area in the southern countryside of Idlib, specifically from the town of “Shanan”, to then settle in Salqin in the northern countryside of Idlib, and during his travels to search for work in several professions to support his family and his father in securing a living, such as working as an assistant to the seller of a drinking water tanker, Agriculture and at an electric battery manufacturing company, until he met a young man, out of work; He advised him to join the “Syrian National Army” and move to Shiyeh/Sheikh Hadid district in Afrin countryside within the ranks of “al-Amshat” faction.

“Loay” mentions that he joined the faction in late 2019, and initially underwent a legal and military course, then began to work in a very strict system, where he is allowed to rest for 10 days and work for 20 days, at the security checkpoints on the outskirts of Shiyeh / Sheikh Hadid district.

Louay says that he used to sleep and live most of his time in the military headquarters, where he is not allowed to visit his family in the town of Salqin in the northern countryside of Idlib, because the area is under the control of “Haya’at Tahrir al-Sham” (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra), where there is sensitivity in the form of hostility. Internal competition between it and the “Syrian National Army.” Because of these circumstances, “Louay” decided to leave the faction and defect from it in April of this year 2021, and he was forced to announce his defection so that he could return to his family’s area in Salqin, which is controlled by “Al-Nusra” so that he would not be held accountable.

Join the military motivated by the search for safety!
The chaos spread in the areas under the control of the Syrian armed opposition (the Syrian National Army) caused the spread of weapons, which required each family to protect itself, and one of the convictions of the people to achieve their safety was that in each family there should be a member of a military faction who would secure protection for his family ; These factors contributed to the recruitment of children, on a large scale, by the “Syrian National Army” factions, motivated by the conviction presents; Protecting the child and the family, and ensuring that no one is exposed to the family, especially the settlers who live in the homes of displaced people.

A military official in the “Syrian National Army” (on condition of anonymity), told ASO News Network that most of the military forces recruit children, which they consider a source of strength for them, given that they grow up to obey leaders, and although everyone resorts to child soldiers But most of them are the “Al-Sham Legion,” followed by the “Al-Hamzat Division” and “Sultan Suleiman Shah Division.”

Article 4 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child in international law prohibits the recruitment of children into the armed forces or their use in hostilities under the age of 18, while the recruitment of children under the age of 15 is considered a war crime.

The children are subjected to violations by the National army as placing them in physical burdens beyond their capabilities, putting them in the first ranks during the fight, without taking any consideration of their psychological conditions. The children are subjected to insulting by the commanders in charge. As they do not get enough breaks at their homes and not allowed to visit their families for long times.

The “Syrian National Army” includes among its ranks a large number of children..
Journalist Khaled Al-Hamdan from the eastern countryside of Hama and residing in the city of Azaz in the northern countryside of Aleppo, confirms to ASO News Network, that the recruitment of children into the ranks of the National Army is clear, and it is not a secret to anyone. “This can be seen through the large numbers of children scattered at the checkpoints within areas of The Euphrates Shield, the Olive Branch and the Occupied Peace Spring, which are under the control of the Turkish-affiliated factions.

He confirms this based on the videos of graduation courses and battle training for the Syrian National Army factions, which are not without large percentages of children, which is another violation in addition to a series of violations committed by the “National Army” in its areas of influence, and he says: “Most of the children lost their future after the idea of ​​weapons, war and murder was implanted in their heads.”
Khaled Al-Hamdan talks about the great exploitation of children in the recruitment process, including sexual exploitation, as well as the failure to compensate children for money. The financial dues allocated to the fighter, ranging between 300 and 400 dollars, are not fully granted to the children (…).

A recent UN report published in Reuters in February 2021 stated that Syria ranks first among the countries most recruiting children in the world. The report of the Security Council on the situation of children in the armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, which covered the period between July 1 2018 to June 30, 2020, after verifying the recruitment mechanism, 73 percent of child recruitment cases were concentrated in northwest Syria; Idlib, Aleppo and Hama (Syrian opposition areas).

In the UN report issued by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Syrian opposition ranked first among the military forces most used to recruit children, with a number of 901 cases of child recruitment.

The report indicated that “Al-Mu’tasim Division” of the “Syrian National Army” recruited two children, aged 15 and 16, in Mar’aa, in the countryside of Aleppo, and sent them to fight in Libya within the ranks of “Sultan Murad Division.”

The “National Army” factions are taking advantage of the harsh conditions that displaced families are going through, to attract more fighters to their ranks, and instead of ensuring a decent life for civilians, they put their children in headquarters and training camps, he said.

Bassam Al-Issa (pseudonym), the father of one of the children recruited in the “National Army,” told ASO News Network that the security conditions prompted him to send his son, who was not over seventeen, to fight, as he joined “Al-Sham Legion” faction, after they were displaced by government forces. The Syrian, from the Eastern Ghouta in the Damascus countryside, and is currently a settler in the city of Afrin.

In an attempt by the parents to discourage their sons from joining the factions, many families spoke to ASO News Network, including those who see that the living reality pushes them to do so, and others are convinced of the idea that their sons are among the armed men, but some also attribute their consent to accept this to fear and insecurity.
Abu Taha is one of the residents claims that the area is witnessing bad security conditions, a state of chaos, and a random multiplicity of military forces, which has resulted in the spread of thefts, killings, harassment and rape, when the family is not supported or does not have children among the militants,” adding, “There have been horrific cases of rape and harassment, including three girls being harassed, kidnapped, and a rape attempt of three girls by an old man, so families are trying to ensure the safety of their children by recruiting them!”

“I sent my son to join the ranks of the fighters to at least protect the family, and to improve our deteriorating living conditions,” says one of the parents, continuing that his son spends long periods in military headquarters, and adds: “They tried to influence him to go and fight in Libya, but he refused, so he is worried. out of revenge for refusing it.”
Turkey, through the “Syrian National Army,” recruits fighters to send them to Libya, and those who refuse to implement decisions are held accountable; Therefore, the man says that his son’s refusal has put him at risk, even though his son gets an estimated $40 a month, while his life is threatened at every moment within the armed opposition factions.

The “National Army” is completely affiliated with the Turkish occupation, and its formation was announced in December 2017, and it occupies areas of northern Syria under the names of military operations such as “Euphrates Shield”, “Olive Branch” and “Peace Spring”, and the occupation of those areas has caused the displacement of hundreds of people. Thousands of the original owners of the areas, especially the Kurds, and the confiscation of their property in addition to many violations of human rights.