COTABATO CITY – Top officials of the United Nations in the Philippines led by Jacqui Badcock, resident coordinator, pursued with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) the issue of child soldiers being used in armed conflict in Mindanao during a recent meeting at the MILF’s Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

Badcock is the new highest official of the UN in the Philippines, having direct supervisory authority over all UN agencies in the country.

The MILF’s Web site said the UN officials visited Camp Darapanan, the MILF peace panel Secretariat’s headquarters, about four days ago.

Badcock’s delegation’s visit “focused on the formal engagement of the United Nations Children Educational Funds (UNICEF) with MILF on the issue of child soldiers in armed conflict.”

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officials have accused the Moro rebels of recruiting young children and training them as child combatants in the Mindanao conflict.

On the other hand, the MILF leadership forged an agreement with the UNICEF called “Action Plan Between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the United Nations in the Philippines Regarding the Issue of Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers in the Armed Conflict in Mindanao” that was signed last July 29.

Ghazali Jaafar, vice chairman for Political Affairs of the MILF Central Committee, who led the meeting with the UN officials, described the meeting as “historic.”

Eid Kabalu, chief of Civil-Military Relations Department of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) of the MILF, headed the five-man MILF team for the accord with UNICEF towards its fulfillment.