(2017) 1 African Human Rights Yearbook 141 Out of the 59 parties, while the largest majority are non-State armed groups, eight are government forces.85 Out of this, 5 were Africa States namely Central African Republic, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.86 In 2017, Central African Republic was delisted. The African countries where armed groups recruit children below the age of 18 are the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.87 There seems to be a correlation between the recruitment of children by armed forces and by armed groups. The SRSG also indicates that the abductions of children in the context of armed conflict is a continuing problem in Africa, and in fact increasing in few contexts, particularly by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, and Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).88 There are a number of issues that the interpretation of the African Children’s Rights Charter by the African Committee can add value to the promotion and protection of the rights of children in the context of armed conflict. For instance, the arrest and detention, and in some instances torture and ill treatment of children that are accused of association with terrorist organisations or terrorist activities, needs closer scrutiny if the enjoyment of the rights in the Charter are to be realised by all. Prevention detention, used under the guise of protecting children from joining terrorist organisations such as Boko Haram, and ISIL has lead to arrests of children in Cameroon, Nigeria and Libya.89 The use of children for suicide bombing has been flagged as one of the issues in need of attention especially in the context of Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab activities. For instance, it has been reported that there has been an increase of suicide bombings carried out by children in Cameroon and Nigeria in the context of the Boko Haram violence.90 Another issue worthy of exploration relates to the denial of humanitarian access, including its use as a weapon of war and its relationship with children’s rights. Activities of this nature have reportedly increased, for instance, in the context of the conflict in South Sudan.91 It begs the question how the provisions of the Charter, especially articles 22 and 5, as well as relevant standards from 85 As above. As above. 87 Child Soldiers International (n 82 above). 88 SRSG CAAC ‘Annual report of the Secretary General on children and armed conflict’ (20 April 2016) (A/70/836–S/2016/360) available at http://www.un.org/ga/search/ view_doc.asp?symbol=s/2016/360&referer=/english/&Lang=E para 9 (accessed 10 October 2017). 89 Child Soldiers International ‘Submission to the 75th Pre-session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: Cameroon’ (August 2016) available at https:// www.child-soldiers.org/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=19c99637-7122-4356-927e4748db4d617f (accessed 10 October 2017). 90 UNICEF, ‘Nigeria regional conflict: 10-fold increase in number of children used in ‘suicide’ attacks’, 12 April 2016, available at http://www.unicef.org/media/media_ 90827.html (accessed 10 October 2017). 91 SRSG CAAC ‘Annual report of the Secretary General on children and armed conflict’ (24 August 2017) (A/72/361–S/2017/821) available at http://www.un.org/ga/search/ view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2017/821 para 152 (accessed 10 October 2017). 86