UN debate over child soldiers' legacy

The United Nations Security Council has recommended new measures for a war crimes court in Sierra Leone that would restrict the prosecution of child soldiers.

In a letter to the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, the members of the Security Council said former child soldiers should preferably face a truth and reconciliation commission.

Council members said only those children who bore the greatest responsibility for the crimes committed during Sierra Leone's civil war should face a full court.

In October, Mr Annan recommended that child soldiers aged between fifteen and eighteen should face the same charges as adult soldiers.

Child soldiers carried out some of the worst atrocities of the civil war, including killing, raping and maiming civilians. The fifteen-member Security Council also rejected Mr Annan's suggestion for funding the war crimes tribunal, saying it should be paid for through voluntary contributions.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service