Page 7 - January Febuary 2016 Issue
P. 7
Children on the Battleield: A Look into the Use of Child Soldiers in the DRC Conlict
and economic stagnation are major (Twum-Danso 2003). This paper borrows
consequences of conlict in general, the impact the United Nations deinitions of child
of child soldiers on Africa’s development and child soldier. According to the United
warrants special attention considering the fact Nations Convention on the Rights of the
that children remain important future leaders Child (UNCRC), a child is “every human
of the continent. The paper also argues that, being below the age of 18 years unless, under
contrary to conventional views which portray the law applicable to the child, majority is
children as innocent victims of warfare, in attained earlier” (UNCRC Article 1), and the
contemporary conlicts in which children are term child soldier refers to:
not only passive victims; they are also active any person under 18 years of age who is part
combatants on the frontlines. Children in Africa of any kind of regular or irregular armed force
therefore remain both targets and perpetrators or armed group in any capacity, including
of violence to an unprecedented degree (Briggs but not limited to cooks, porters, messengers
2005). and those accompanying such groups, other
than purely as family members…it does not,
The paper is divided into six sections: the therefore, only refer to a child who is carrying
irst section looks at the deinitions of ‘child’ or has carried arms (Coalition to Stop the Use
and ‘child soldier’. The second examines the of the Child 2003).
child soldier phenomenon within the African
context. The third explores conditions leading The child soldier phenomenon
to the increased use of children in African
armed conlicts and why they (children) are It has been argued that “the phenomenon
speciically preferred targets for recruitment. of children in combat is not recent, nor is it
The fourth gives a brief overview of the DRC solely an issue in African countries, as many
conlict and the use of child soldiers in that may assume” (Briggs 2005: xii). However,
country’s conlict thus far. The ifth investigates the marked and tragic increase in their use
the effects of armed conlict on children in particularly in civil wars in the last several
general, and the inal section examines steps decades has given the phenomenon a new and
taken by concerned governments in Africa and different dimension altogether (Briggs 2005).
the international community to reduce and stop According to numerous accounts, the history
the use of children in armed conlicts. of children’s involvement in armed conlict
dates back many years. What is important
Who is a child soldier? to highlight though, is the fact that the
phenomenon has experienced several changes
There has been much contention surrounding with regard to the roles played by children.
the deinition of the terms ‘child’ and ‘child Honwana argues that the phenomenon of child
soldier’, this is so especially considering soldiers is deeply rooted in the history of all
the fact that childhood is a relative concept civilizations, and she points out that children
that changes according to historical time, have taken part in warfare and political
geographical environment and socio-economic conlict from as early as the Middle
conditions among other factors
7
and economic stagnation are major (Twum-Danso 2003). This paper borrows
consequences of conlict in general, the impact the United Nations deinitions of child
of child soldiers on Africa’s development and child soldier. According to the United
warrants special attention considering the fact Nations Convention on the Rights of the
that children remain important future leaders Child (UNCRC), a child is “every human
of the continent. The paper also argues that, being below the age of 18 years unless, under
contrary to conventional views which portray the law applicable to the child, majority is
children as innocent victims of warfare, in attained earlier” (UNCRC Article 1), and the
contemporary conlicts in which children are term child soldier refers to:
not only passive victims; they are also active any person under 18 years of age who is part
combatants on the frontlines. Children in Africa of any kind of regular or irregular armed force
therefore remain both targets and perpetrators or armed group in any capacity, including
of violence to an unprecedented degree (Briggs but not limited to cooks, porters, messengers
2005). and those accompanying such groups, other
than purely as family members…it does not,
The paper is divided into six sections: the therefore, only refer to a child who is carrying
irst section looks at the deinitions of ‘child’ or has carried arms (Coalition to Stop the Use
and ‘child soldier’. The second examines the of the Child 2003).
child soldier phenomenon within the African
context. The third explores conditions leading The child soldier phenomenon
to the increased use of children in African
armed conlicts and why they (children) are It has been argued that “the phenomenon
speciically preferred targets for recruitment. of children in combat is not recent, nor is it
The fourth gives a brief overview of the DRC solely an issue in African countries, as many
conlict and the use of child soldiers in that may assume” (Briggs 2005: xii). However,
country’s conlict thus far. The ifth investigates the marked and tragic increase in their use
the effects of armed conlict on children in particularly in civil wars in the last several
general, and the inal section examines steps decades has given the phenomenon a new and
taken by concerned governments in Africa and different dimension altogether (Briggs 2005).
the international community to reduce and stop According to numerous accounts, the history
the use of children in armed conlicts. of children’s involvement in armed conlict
dates back many years. What is important
Who is a child soldier? to highlight though, is the fact that the
phenomenon has experienced several changes
There has been much contention surrounding with regard to the roles played by children.
the deinition of the terms ‘child’ and ‘child Honwana argues that the phenomenon of child
soldier’, this is so especially considering soldiers is deeply rooted in the history of all
the fact that childhood is a relative concept civilizations, and she points out that children
that changes according to historical time, have taken part in warfare and political
geographical environment and socio-economic conlict from as early as the Middle
conditions among other factors
7
