Recruiting Children for Armed Conflict - Research Paper Example

Child Soldier Two million children have died in conflict over the last ten years. Over a million children have been orphaned, over six million have become permanently disabled or incurred serious injuries and over ten million have been left in a state of chronic psychological trauma (Andvig & Gates, 5). War has an effect on every development aspect of a child. Children who are affected by armed conflict often get injured, killed, and uprooted from their communities and homes and end up as refugees or internally displaced persons. Some of these children become separated from their parents and families or orphaned and are subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse. They end up being victims of trauma due to exposure to violence; they are deprived of education are at risk of ending up as child soldiers (Ozerdem & Podde, 13). There is a high probability that children who live in conflict areas get deprived of basic needs such as food, shelter and medical attention. To add on to this, the issue of relief for children tends to be given the last priority when in war. This results in insufficient or zero protection for minors. Due to their physical constitution and growth, children are most vulnerable to being deprived of basic needs such as food and medical assistance and this has a severe impact on how they develop. Since 1998, armed conflicts that involve child soldiers have been recorded in at least 36 countries (Child soldiers; global report 2004). The traumatic scars that are left on these children are just one out of many post war problems that face such countries. There are other problems such as food shortages, refugees and mourning for relatives lost in the war. Former Child Soldiers are in most cases forgotten about and if remembered it will be for the purposes of blaming them for the war. Children who come from families that are poor and disadvantaged and who may be seeking for a sense of belonging, physical support or revenge for losing their families are particularly vulnerable to exploitation in periods of conflict. In some cases, children are kidnapped and forcefully trained to become fighters. Estimates indicate that in the last 15 years the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) alone has kidnapped over 15,000 children from areas around Gulu, northern Uganda (Wessells 35). The targeting of children is deliberate as they are easily manipulated compared to adults and can be made to perform atrocities and crimes without asking questions. The accessibility of light weaponry is also a contributor to child soldiering as it makes it possible for even the very young children to use and bear arms. Efforts made by the United Nations in naming and shaming governments and rebel groups that do not abide by the international and domestic laws that uphold children’s right have had very limited effect in combating this vice. The annual report by the Secretary General lists dozens of groups and several governments that continue to use or recruit children in their armed forces. Africa has the largest number of child soldiers despite the signing of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in 1999 which is the only regional treaty that outlaws child involvement in armed conflicts in the world (Child soldiers; global report 2004). In 2010, the United Nations together with other rights organizations launched the Zero under 18 Campaign which is aimed at attaining universal ratification of the child rights protocol by the year 2012. The ultimate goal is to ending impunity for those who violate children rights and strengthen enforcement of laws against such violations. Graca Machel (UN 1996) states that war is a violation of the right of a child to life and the right to have a family that nurtures and respects the child. Process Analysis The main sources of material used in this research were anecdotal reports and academia journals. These reports gave valuable insight and information on the issue of child soldiers. Relevant literature on the topic was obtained through an extensive search in online publications and databases such as SagePub, Jstor and Informaworld. Websites of NGO’s such as Save the Children UK, SOS Children’s Villages Canada, the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, the United Nations Children?s Fund (UNICEF), and War Child also had valuable information on the topic. Two television documentaries were also used in addition to the other sources. The inclusion of child soldiers in research is essential when analyzing the phenomenon of the child soldier. Only a few researchers make consistent efforts to include the feelings, experiences, thoughts and statements of children when conducting empirical investigations. It is important to note that only the children who have experiences the atrocities can help us explain the reasons for their participation in armed groups and why they remain in such groups. By inclusion of the voices of former child soldiers, the bias faced due to the sole use of the opinions of humanitarian organizations and scholars is avoided. The inclusion of former child soldiers when conducting research enables the researcher to create a broader understanding of the complex and multi-faceted character of this phenomenon (“Kids With Guns: Stacey Dooley Investigates.”). An interview of a former child soldier was conducted in order to get first hand information on the issue. The aim of the interview was to reveal what transpires during the socialization process in rebel groups. This information would help in understanding why many child soldiers choose to remain with rebel groups despite the harsh conditions faced when with the groups. Introduction There are an estimated 300,000 children in about19 countries who are struggling to survive the realities of an active participation in armed conflict (Children of conflict. BBC World Service ). For those that live to tell the experience, their stories are so horrific to an extent that they are almost unbelievable. The often obvious physical injuries acquired through fighting, beatings and training exercises is all the evidence one needs in order to believe their stories. Emotional and mental damage impacted on these children will impact them for the rest of their lives. Due to the high interconnectivity of the global community, the devastation that results from the use of child soldiers will soon have an effect on everyone. The recruitment and use of child soldiers is a major problem that the world should no longer approach in a haphazard manner. Political, cultural and judicial systems continue to develop and expand internationally on an unprecedented level. The fast pace at which change is taking place has resulted in several advancements including the ability to share news, technology and creative ideas rapidly. However, this rapid growth has also brought about confusion due to the fast development of problems compared to solutions. The issue of child soldiers is no exception to this phenomenon. What makes the situation even more difficult is the fact that the problem is a complex issue that exists in a web of cultural, societal, judicial and political deficiencies. The consequences of the existence of child soldiers are being felt by people in all these areas (“Kids With Guns: Stacey Dooley Investigates.”). There are several positive steps that have been made towards accountability over the past years especially with the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The conviction of Thomas Lubanga for war crimes that included the recruitment and use of child soldiers is a great step in the right direction (“Kids With Guns: Stacey Dooley Investigates.” ). This Court has demonstrated the capability of the world in ending the use of child soldiers in armed conflicts through legal means. There still exist many challenges faces by the ICC in carrying out its mandate but the fight to free the children and punish those responsible for recruiting them still continues. The questions that linger in people’s minds are; why do children fight, what motivates them, whether it is voluntary or not. We may also want to look at the aspect of survival and economic opportunity as factors that cause children to fight. Other questions are on socialization and reintegration challenges for the children, how should society treat such children when they come home? If such issues were dealt with, then we would easily tackle the problems these children face so that they are able to have an ordinary life. This paper is a comprehensive examination of the complex issues occasioned by this situation, so as to end impunity for child soldiers’ perpetrators. The aim of the paper is not to overwhelm, but to demonstrate the cooperation and attention needed in order to address the intertwined issues regarding this problem. The examination starts by looking at the causes of child soldiering followed by a look at the ways through which the perpetrators of these acts can be legally and criminally held responsible for their actions. The paper also addresses the role of the international community and the United Nations in combating this vice. It is noted that the recruitment and use of child soldiers is a multi-faceted problem that needs a variety of approaches in order to effectively deal with it. Who Is A Child Soldier? The international community generally defines a child as a person who is yet to attain the age of eighteen years (Andvig & Gates, 4). Though this age may appear arbitrary, it is customarily followed because the law assumes that it is necessary for one to be able to make responsible choices in order to meaningfully exercise their right of choice. The age restriction was set in an attempt to protect children who have not yet had enough mental development that can enable them make significant decisions. International law that prevails at the moment has however set fifteen as the minimum age for recruitment into the military and participation in armed conflict. There is a continuing international debate on the standard age for recruitment into military service. A majority of people believe that the age should be uniformly set as eighteen to avoid the manipulation of children who are enlisted as soldiers due to their naivety, innocence and inability to authoritatively distinguish between right and wrong (Ozerdem & Podde, 15). In places with weak administrative systems, it is difficult to identify the age of some recruits. Children may lack knowledge of their age or may have no documents to show when they were born. In other situations though, it is obvious that children are used as soldiers. Children, some as young as nine years, old are enlisted as combatants in rebel groups (Ozerdem & Podde, 13). With this in mind it is clear that adopting the higher age of eighteen for recruitment would decrease the hedging done on the age of recruits. In reality however a lot of difficulty is encountered when trying to accurately identify compliance with the age threshold regardless of what age is set by international law. In addition to setting an established age by which to define a child soldier, the role played by the child in the conflict should also be addressed. There are a variety of ways through which children can be used in armed conflict. The children can be armed with guns and sent to fight. They might also be used as guards or part of a security detail. The small size of children and their unobtrusive appearance has also regrettably proven to be effective when conducting espionage. The children that are most “fortunate” are those that are used to provide manual labor such as messengers, porters, cooks and mine sweepers (Child soldiers; global report 2004). The role played by girls in armed conflict is troubling. In many cases, the girls are used as wives, sexual slaves, and concubines to soldiers. When the girls fall pregnant, the children they give birth to often get stigmatized and are labeled as rebel babies. The use of sexual violence and rape as a war tactic is a vice that has relatively gone unpunished for quite a long time. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 33% of all rape victims are children (Child soldiers; global report 2004). Regardless of how a child is used in armed conflict, he/she should be regarded as a recruit and a child soldier so that those who oversee them face criminal punishment. This is because all the roles played by these children are aimed at contributing to the efforts of the armed group they work for. Root of the problem The identification of avenues that cause children to become child soldiers might be the most critical advancement in eradicating the use of child soldiers. Steps can then be made to address these catalysts once they are detected. An unstable society combined with poverty contributes to the creation of an environment that is for producing child soldiers. Recruiters, parents and the children are left with very few options especially when living in such tumultuous societies. Other primary avenues through which children become soldiers include forcible abduction, persuasive recruitment, abandonment and volunteering (Child soldiers; global report 2004). The primary underlying factor in a majority of armed conflicts is poverty. When this factor is combined with other environmental influences, a power vacuum is created leading to widespread frustration. Poverty is also the common denominator when it comes to recruitment of child soldiers (Child soldiers; global report 2004). Destitution acts as a catalyst when it comes to issues to do with child soldier recruitment possibilities. Most children who end up as soldiers come from disadvantaged families and poor societies. The children most affected are generally those with impoverished circumstances. Forced abduction remains the most common means of recruiting child soldiers. Compulsory induction is committed by use of physical force and threats. In prolonged conflicts, there is always desperation by armed groups to fill their ranks. These groups target recruits that are easy to induct such as children. This results in wars being fought by children. Abductions occur at the schools or right off the streets. There are reported incidences of children having been removed from cars, buses, marketplaces and even churches at gunpoint (Child soldiers; global report 2004). These children are then taken away quickly and forced into service. Parents are often powerless when they find out about their child’s abduction and therefore can do nothing to stop the course of events. Not all child inductions are forcibly compelled. Some children join voluntarily in order to prove themselves to the adults or their family. Revenge is also a motivating factor especially if the child had previously endured some atrocities. The cultures of these groups glorify war and encourage the children to view fighting as a prestigious activity. Older children who may understand the reasons for conflict may want to join so as to contribute towards that course. Other children usually join due to desperation in exchange for clothes, food, protection or medical assistance. Some parents offer their children to these groups so as to provide them with basic survival needs. In exchange, the armed group promises aid to the family. Girls are usually given up to be used in armed conflict to so as increase their marriage prospects. Sometimes the parents abandon the children due to desperation caused by poverty. Some extended families give up children whose parents have died in order to avoid the perceived burden of taking care of them. Others are simply sold for profit (Williams 1077). The manner through which the children join these armed groups can have a significant impact on how a perpetrator is prosecuted due to two reasons. First, the idea of legitimacy varies depending of cultures, local history and political structures. If child soldiers are acceptable in a society, any attempt to prosecute those involved will be met with hostility and confusion and disapproval. The second issue regards the debate as to whether there must be forced recruitment for the crime to be punishable. The way in which this question is answered has a significant impact on the determination of a potential violator. Parents who give up their children could be regarded as offenders if the interpretation is expansive. Whether the interpretation is broad or narrow, it is still challenging to monitor the recruitment tactics of perpetrators (Williams 1085). Another consideration that can be made is whether to punish someone for knowing about the use of child soldiers and doing nothing about it when he had the power to stop it. All these approaches may seem right depending on different circumstances but the important this is to ensure that whatever decision is made is accepted by both the local and international community. Report: Interview In my interview with a former child soldier, I get a clear picture of the experience of a child soldier. The memory of life before the war is lost to him. He had a family that was well off with a big house in a rich neighborhood before the war took place. The rebellion may have started with a purpose but during its course this was forgotten and it took a different dimension. He says that he was too young to understand what was happening. His whole family was among many other people that were executed. The survivors such as he were grouped into age groups and those that were found to be of no use such as those that were too old were also executed (Sidibay: Personal Interview). He believes that he and others who were left to witness the murder of their families were intentionally subjected to this so that they would be motivated to fight for the cause in order to revenge the deaths of their families. He still tries to recollect the memories of what transpired during that fateful day when he lost his entire family. He recounts that in the armed groups, nobody cares about the children. They were on their own for most of the time except when given orders which they had to follow. No questions were allowed and one was expected to strictly follow the orders given and do as told (Sidibay: Personal Interview). Even at four years old, a child would be given an AK47 and ordered to kill people without any sympathy. He says that the gun was relatively easy to operate. Kids like him walked with guns that were often taller than them (Sidibay: Personal Interview). They were treated like any other soldier. The basics of how to operate a gun and survive warfare but one had to figure out most of the other things without help and do whatever it took to survive. From the first day, the children were shown the consequences of defying orders. This served to embed fear into their young minds and made them cooperative. One had to know the survival instinct of kill or be killed. He was a child soldier for four and a half years. By that time he already knew that what he was doing was wrong. He had many questions in his mind such as what crimes the people he was asked to kill committed but he dared not to ask because he knew the consequences. He says that keeping the questions to oneself was very important if one wanted to survive. Raising one’s eyebrows over an issue, objection to orders or showing emotions could lead to severe punishment. Keeping these things in mind was like building a wall around you in order to survive. There is a thin line between being a willing participant, being force into participation and being a victim. It was necessary to fortify emotions in order to survive. Their reprieve came with the death of the army group leaders. The power vacuum allowed people to ask questions that they would not have dared ask if the leaders were alive. It was a chance to leave the group and many people left. An Italian organization named Coopi came to the rescue of some of the children (Sidibay: Personal Interview). While there he was able to get explanations for all the questions on his mind. Reintegration was a big challenge. Civilian life was difficult it presented many challenges that the former child soldiers were not prepared for. It was hard to adjust to the normal civilian life. The transition was hard because some of the adults that the children looked up to often turned away from them. Former child soldiers were shunned by their former communities. To make matters worse the children were given orders that they were not used. They were expected to conform to the expectations of the society bit the society had no expectations of them. The concerns of the former child soldiers fell on deaf ears. They were thought of as contributors to the destruction of homes and properties and hence they had no place in the reconstruction of these homes. People had the notion that the minds of the former child soldiers were molded to combat and it was not easy to rehabilitate them. Even to this day, he says that the mask which he used to hide himself in for protection is not completely off. He is still trying to figure out the normal things in life. This is very frustrated as he still tries to find the right person to answer his questions. Convictions Conviction of Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president, by the International Criminal Court for aiding and abetting war crimes is the first guilty verdict ever passed on a former head of state for violation of human rights. It represents a great milestone in the establishment of global justice. Taylor is believed to have given significant and sustained support to rebel groups that carried out many atrocities during the civil war between 1991 and 2002 in Sierra Leone causing the death of tens of thousands. He gave ammunition, arms, advice and communications equipment to a rebel force that became synonymous for their brutal executions, sexual assaults and dismemberment. These atrocities were often carried out and suffered by children. He was found criminally liable and guilty of murder, terror, rape, conscripting child soldiers and terror activities (Perry n.p). The conviction of Taylor resuscitates hope that those who practice crimes against humanity will face repercussions. The issue of blood diamonds where Taylor was accused of receiving the diamonds for supporting the rebels also came up. Efforts made to eradicate blood diamonds were crashed last year when the Kimberley Process collapsed. The process was to create an international diamond certification scheme that was self regulated to prevent the trade in blood diamonds. It is believed to have collapsed due to accusations that it failed to help cut the links between the diamonds, violence and tyranny (Perry n.p). The conviction of Taylor may offer an alternative approach for those who hope to cut this link. Though Taylor was not convicted of commanding the atrocities directly, the verdict still represents great progress in the attempts to develop a global justice system that will call to account leaders who are guilty of human rights violations. It will ensure that even those who cannot be prosecuted in their country are brought to book elsewhere. The ICC also convicted former Congolese warlord, Thomas Lubanga for similar crimes earlier in the year. The road to establishing a global justice system is with many challenges. For instance, the I.C.C. may issue an arrest warrant but due to lack of its own police force to enforce them, it becomes hard to arrest the suspects. Such is the case with President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan. He continues to walking free despite an indictment by the ICC for war crimes committed in Darfur. Another problem is that almost all indictments by the ICC, six to date, have been against African leaders. This creates the perception that the court has an anti-Africa bias and many African leaders have consequently raised issues about its operations terming it a political court. Such an issue can undermine the legitimacy of the court and hinder its operations. Other critics claim that the cases at the ICC take way to long based on the principle that justice delayed equals justice denied. An example is given of Slobodan Milosevic, former president of Serbia, who died before the conclusion of his trial (Perry n.p). The concept of international justice is not without its downside. Some experts believe that it is at odds with the national peace interests of those countries whose leaders are indicted. If a bad leader knows he will face retribution once he leaves office, then there will be no incentive to do so. Such leaders may instead cling on to power for as long as possible even if it means committing further atrocities in order to survive. Joseph Kony the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group in Uganda, was the first person indicted by the court. He was also accused of using child soldiers in his army. This act caused his to pull out of peace talks in 2008 (Perry n.p). When Taylor was indicted, he rushed back to Monrovia and there was a spike in conflict that claimed thousands of lives. It is therefore critical to consider proper timing before issuing indictments against any leaders. Presentation of Findings The multitude of reasons that cause child soldiering cannot be ignored as they are a threat to both the people and their security. This demonstrates the tremendous challenges we face when trying to assist these children. The first step in addressing the needs of these children is to be aware of their problems so as to make use of the existing mechanisms and advocate for the rights and protection of these children in the most holistic manner. This will help stopping the continuation of the cycle. With regard to this, the dearth of research into what causes child soldiering and the consequences thereof is one disadvantage to the understanding of the negative consequences that result from child soldiering. Poverty and displacement are major causes of child soldiering and leads to broader consequences for the society with regard to human security. The issue as to whether the children are volunteers, forced recruits or conscripts is also debated when it comes to dealing with the perpetrators of child recruitment. I am of the opinion that it does should not matter how the child was recruited into the group. What matters is the fact that children should not be allowed to participate in such activities as it is detrimental to their health. The parents of care takers of children to sell or give away these children to recruiters should be regarded as recruiters and should be criminally charged for the crime. This is one sure way of curtailing on child soldiering as it will make others to think twice before giving away their children to such activities. When conflict arises children get displaced regardless of the level of development of a country or its compliance with international standards. Displacement of these children means that insecurity will increase as most will be recruited into armed groups due to their lack of choice, opportunities and ways of defense (“Child Soldiers.” ABC TV). When conflicts are over, the child soldiers cannot simply go home because they would be unwanted. As a result most face the risk of death, injury, disability and psychological trauma as a result of their ordeal. It becomes hard for their communities and societies to restore human security and build the future. Prevention requires great investment in practical measures in social empowerment through education, advocacy at the community level and non-formal youth activities. I have identified some of the obstacles that curtail efforts to prevent child soldiering. This includes poverty, lack of social awareness on how to deal with underprivileged children and families and the lack of proper frameworks to discourage this vice. The issue of use of girls in conflict should be given great attention. This is because girls are highly vulnerable to harm and often require special needs that are never available in these military groups. The high risk exposure to sexual exploitation, rape and unwanted pregnancies is also worrying. These girls are often stigmatized for having sexual relations outside marriage even though they had no choice given their situation. Improved links are needed between the many help organizations to assist tackle the issue of child soldier. The conviction of Thomas Lubanga for crimes against humanity and the recruitment of child soldiers indicate the progress made in fighting this vice. This is a good precedent that has set the ball rolling and soon other perpetrators will join the fray. My interview with a former child soldier helped me realize that more needs to be done when it comes to rehabilitating and reintegrating these children into society. The vulnerability of these children should be considered given the great psychological trauma they undergo as child soldiers. If this is not done, some of them may be unable to cope with their new environment and this will lead to recidivism. Conclusion The congress is usually tasked with the duty to develop legislation. The issue of child soldiers is a very serious problem in Africa. Lack of stringent laws to punish offenders has greatly contributed to the continuity of this vice. I have highlighted some of the problems that children undergo due to this vice. It is my appeal to the Congress to objectively look at this problem not only from the economic and political point of view, but also from a humanitarian point of view. Legislators are in the best placed position to tackle this problem because they are responsible for developing legislation that is implemented by the executive. As leaders, the congress persons should educate their constituents on the negative aspects of this practice. The importance of their participation of congress in fighting this problem cannot be understated. The ultimate goal is to have the congress actively and aggressively participate in the fight against this vice. There is a growing body of international laws and standards that can be used to prevent child recruitment and use in armed conflict. Laws such as The Convention on the Rights of the Child give the child a right to right to personal security (Vindevogel, Sofie et.al 557). Threat to the security of children is often aggravated by factors such as lack personal identity documentation, lack of protection by their government, the disruption of family and community structures. It is therefore imperative that the legislators of laws ensure that proper legislation and ratification of laws is done so as to avert a crisis that will haunt us in the near future. Works Cited Andvig, J. C. and Gates, S. ‘Recruiting Children for Armed Conflict’, in Gates, S. and Reich, S. (Eds) Child Soldiers in the Age of Fractured States, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2011. Print. Alpaslam Ozerdem & Sukanya Podde (ed). Child soldiers: from recruitment to reintegration Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.Print. “Child Soldiers.” ABC TV Documentaries. ABC TV. Australia. 9 Jul. 2002. Television. Child soldiers; global report 2004. London, UK Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, 2004.Web. Children of conflict. BBC World Service. 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 20 Mar 2012. Holst-Roness, F. T.Violence against girls in Africa: Girls vulnerability to violence during armed conflict or crises. International Committee of the Red Cross, 2006. Print. “Kids With Guns: Stacey Dooley Investigates.” BBC three. BBC television. London. 2 Nov. 2010. Television. Michael Wessells Child soldier: from violence to protection Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2006.Print. Perry Alex. Global Justice: A Step Forward with the Conviction of Charles Taylor and Blood Diamonds. Time World. April 26, 2012. Web. Sidibay, Mohammed. Personal interview. 20 Apr. 2012. Vindevogel, Sofie et.al Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal, vol 35 no.7 p551-562 Jul 2011. Print. Williams, Jay. Human rights, Child soldier narratives and the problem of form. International Journal of Human Rights, Oct 2011, vol. 15 no.7, p1072-1090. Print. Read More