Grave violations against children are being perpetrated by all parties to the various conflicts in the CAR, including rape and armed recruitment into the fighting forces, according to a UN report released Feb. 10. Non-State armed groups and bandits are also kidnapping children as a means of recruitment and to threaten and extort ransom from the population, while abuses against youngsters generally are committed in a climate of impunity, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon writes in his latest report to the Security Council on children and armed conflict in CAR. (UN News Service)