Page 11 - January Febuary 2016 Issue
P. 11
Children on the Battleield: A Look into the Use of Child Soldiers in the DRC Conlict
Why children? effectively and eficiently whether they
get paid or not. Other than this, there are
Why do armed groups and some government certain conditions that have made children
forces prefer children to adults? Singer easy targets for recruitment. Children who
(2005) argues that children are now being are poorest, least educated and from most
preferred because they provide a low-cost and marginalized sections of society are most
eficient way for organizations to mobilize likely to be recruited. Children from wealthy
and generate force. In addition, children are families are at lower risk of recruitment
often seen as expendable, they are also easily because their parents can afford to pay-off
manipulated and controlled to carry out the their recruiters in exchange for their children’s
most repulsive orders; hence they are much freedom. In addition, in some cases those
more preferred than adults when it comes to children with proper birth certiicates may be
recruitment. Further still, children can be found spared since they have proof to show that they
in abundance, and through brutal indoctrination are underage hence not it for recruitment.
(a form of training mostly preferred by rebels); Children with no families or papers to identify
children can be turned into the iercest ighters. them and their age are likely to be abducted
In addition, because contemporary wars kill and forced into ighting (Cohn and Goodwin-
at a higher rate, there is therefore a continued Gill, 1994). The abovementioned factors
need for soldiers to replace the dead, and as serve to explain why children are speciically
argued before, the recruiters turn to children. preferred to ight in African armed conlicts. It
Machel concurs with this point arguing that “as is important to note that the conditions/factors
conlicts drag on, recruits tend to get younger leading to the increased number of children in
and younger” (2001: 8). African armed conlicts discussed above were
and are still prevalent in the DRC, making
Children are also targeted because of their children an easy target for both government
nature – owing to the fact that they still have and rebel forces ighting in the conlict.
not developed mentally, they can easily be
intimidated and manipulated by those that The DRC conlict and child soldiers
recruit them. Children are often seen as agile
and more enduring than adults and following Probably one of the longest and bloodiest
indoctrination and manipulation, they will civil wars on the African continent since the
worship their ‘commanders’ and carry out any end of the Cold War, the DRC conlict dates
orders without question (Twum-Danso 2003). as far back as the 1960s when the country,
In an interview with former child soldiers, then Zaire, gained its independence from
one author came across a Renamo deserter in Belgium. Since then, armed conlict has been
Mozambique who had been forcibly recruited and continues to be a regular feature in the
at the age of ten, and he explained that “kids country, with grave consequences for the
have more stamina, are better at surviving in the population and the country’s development. To
bush, do not complain and follow directions” date, it is reported that as many as ive million
(Cohn and Goodwin-Gill 1994: 26). Unlike people have lost their lives in this conlict, and
adults, children are bound to work
11
Why children? effectively and eficiently whether they
get paid or not. Other than this, there are
Why do armed groups and some government certain conditions that have made children
forces prefer children to adults? Singer easy targets for recruitment. Children who
(2005) argues that children are now being are poorest, least educated and from most
preferred because they provide a low-cost and marginalized sections of society are most
eficient way for organizations to mobilize likely to be recruited. Children from wealthy
and generate force. In addition, children are families are at lower risk of recruitment
often seen as expendable, they are also easily because their parents can afford to pay-off
manipulated and controlled to carry out the their recruiters in exchange for their children’s
most repulsive orders; hence they are much freedom. In addition, in some cases those
more preferred than adults when it comes to children with proper birth certiicates may be
recruitment. Further still, children can be found spared since they have proof to show that they
in abundance, and through brutal indoctrination are underage hence not it for recruitment.
(a form of training mostly preferred by rebels); Children with no families or papers to identify
children can be turned into the iercest ighters. them and their age are likely to be abducted
In addition, because contemporary wars kill and forced into ighting (Cohn and Goodwin-
at a higher rate, there is therefore a continued Gill, 1994). The abovementioned factors
need for soldiers to replace the dead, and as serve to explain why children are speciically
argued before, the recruiters turn to children. preferred to ight in African armed conlicts. It
Machel concurs with this point arguing that “as is important to note that the conditions/factors
conlicts drag on, recruits tend to get younger leading to the increased number of children in
and younger” (2001: 8). African armed conlicts discussed above were
and are still prevalent in the DRC, making
Children are also targeted because of their children an easy target for both government
nature – owing to the fact that they still have and rebel forces ighting in the conlict.
not developed mentally, they can easily be
intimidated and manipulated by those that The DRC conlict and child soldiers
recruit them. Children are often seen as agile
and more enduring than adults and following Probably one of the longest and bloodiest
indoctrination and manipulation, they will civil wars on the African continent since the
worship their ‘commanders’ and carry out any end of the Cold War, the DRC conlict dates
orders without question (Twum-Danso 2003). as far back as the 1960s when the country,
In an interview with former child soldiers, then Zaire, gained its independence from
one author came across a Renamo deserter in Belgium. Since then, armed conlict has been
Mozambique who had been forcibly recruited and continues to be a regular feature in the
at the age of ten, and he explained that “kids country, with grave consequences for the
have more stamina, are better at surviving in the population and the country’s development. To
bush, do not complain and follow directions” date, it is reported that as many as ive million
(Cohn and Goodwin-Gill 1994: 26). Unlike people have lost their lives in this conlict, and
adults, children are bound to work
11
