A/HRC/9/3 page 5 instances, and many children are killed in suicide bombings. The use of children in suicide attacks is a relatively new phenomenon in Afghanistan and Iraq. In Afghanistan, there have been reports that the Taliban have recruited and used children in suicide attacks; in Iraq, children have been used as decoys in suicide car bombings by insurgent group militias. On the other hand, counter-terrorism strategies also raise concern as large-scale military action and the use of disproportionate force result in collateral damage, which sometimes includes the killing and maiming of children. 10. The movement of armed groups across borders to recruit children from camps for internally displaced persons and refugees, such as those in the Great Lakes and Horn regions of Africa, is surging. Along the Sudan-Chad border, both Sudanese and Chadian armed groups are recruiting children from Sudanese refugee camps in eastern Chad, while Chadian refugee children are being recruited by Sudanese rebel groups in Darfur. In 2007, there was a surge in the recruitment and use of Congolese and Rwandan children in North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by communities in Rwanda on behalf of forces loyal to Laurent Nkunda. There are also reports of the recruitment and use of children by the Lord’s Resistance Army from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. The act of transporting vulnerable children by Government and rebel groups across borders during armed conflict constitutes one of the worst forms of child trafficking and poses immense challenges for agencies working with these populations. 11. The perpetration of sexual and gender-based violence against girls, and sometimes boys, by both State and non-States parties to conflict is, in many cases, deliberate, targeted and a direct consequence of criminal intent. In the Great Lakes region, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, there are appalling levels of sexual violence perpetrated against girls, in most cases with total impunity. In Darfur, rape is a method of warfare used by certain armed groups to humiliate and to force the displacement of girls and their families. 12. In certain situations, children are being detained for alleged association with armed groups in violation of international standards. Many of the children are detained without charge or trial, usually not separated from adults, and are subjected to ill-treatment and forceful interrogation methods. They are denied family visits and, in some cases, deprived of food and education. In certain situations, some children have been used as guides and informers for Government military operations, usually under coercion. In Iraq and Israel, military administrative detention of children remains a serious concern. The children lack recourse to prompt and appropriate legal assistance. Their imprisonment only hardens attitudes and reinforces the cycle of violence. 13. The issue of forced displacement is another alarming manifestation of a humanitarian situation where children are often denied shelter, access to education and basic social services. The recruitment of children and internal displacement in Colombia, for example, are closely linked, as too often displacement becomes the only avenue left for families in certain areas to avoid the recruitment of their children by illegal armed groups. In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the most serious consequence of the barrier and its associated regime, and its damaging humanitarian ripple effect, is an increase in forced internal displacement, violations of associated rights and induced poverty, where the majority of affected persons are children. The Special Representative is pleased to note that the Council addressed the issue of forced displacement of children and their families in its resolution 7/29.