Page 8 - January Febuary 2016 Issue
P. 8
Children on the Battleield: A Look into the Use of Child Soldiers in the DRC Conlict
Ages (Honwana 2006:26). Notable warfare however, appears to be the epicenter of
incidences in which children played a vital role the phenomenon. Studies further indicate
include; that when compared to other regions of the
world, Africa, one of the poorest continents
the Children’s Crusade of 1212, Napoleon’s of the world, has the highest number of
army of 19th century which featured a number child soldiers ighting in various wars that
of child combatants about twelve years old and continue to plague the continent (McIntyre
the First and the second World Wars in which 2005). Accounts of child soldiering in Africa
young boys lied about their age in order to ight indicate that children have been used both by
as a sign of patriotism (Twum-Danso 2003:17). government forces and by guerillas battling
them (Briggs 2005). It has been argued that
Children have also taken part in revolutions of an estimated 300,000 children thought to
with strong ideological motivations, for be involved in wars around the world, nearly
instance the Red Guards during the Chinese half are found in Africa alone (Twum-Danso
Cultural Revolution (Honwana 2006:27). 2003). Angola, Burundi, the Central African
Children perform multiple roles for their Republic (CAR), Chad, the Democratic
groups, they might be used as active Republic of Congo (DRC), Guinea, Liberia,
combatants, spies, messengers, porters, cooks, Rwanda, Sudan, Sierra Leone and Uganda
servants, layers and clearers of land mines are some of the countries where the use of
and where girls are involved, they also serve child soldiers has been and still remains most
as ‘wives’1 to commanders. These roles were problematic (Hirsch 2001). However, “due
carried out by children in the past and the trend to the scarcity of reliable documentation and
has continued up to this day albeit with some the fact that most armed groups, including
remarkable differences. In modern conlicts, the government forces, deny their existence, the
roles played by children have become deadlier exact number of child soldiers is dificult
than before, with half the number of children in to assess and thus, they remain ‘invisible’
armed groups ighting in active combat on the ” (Afua Twum-Danso 2003: 12). Again,
battle ield and performing some of the most compared to other regions, Africa’s population
horrifying acts ever known to mankind (Peter et consists of the highest number of young
al 1998). people; about 45 percent of the population
(Afua Twum-Danso 2003). This presents
Conditions/factors leading to increased Africa with a daunting task: that of inding
numbers of children in African armed a long lasting solution to the phenomenon
conlicts especially given the fact that young people in
Africa have very limited livelihood prospects
The literature on child soldiers indicates that the and chances of their joining armed groups as
phenomenon seems to be a worldwide problem an economic alternative still remain very high
(Singer 2005, Honwana 2006, and Briggs (Peters 2004).
2005). Africa, and the sub-Saharan region in
particular,
8
Ages (Honwana 2006:26). Notable warfare however, appears to be the epicenter of
incidences in which children played a vital role the phenomenon. Studies further indicate
include; that when compared to other regions of the
world, Africa, one of the poorest continents
the Children’s Crusade of 1212, Napoleon’s of the world, has the highest number of
army of 19th century which featured a number child soldiers ighting in various wars that
of child combatants about twelve years old and continue to plague the continent (McIntyre
the First and the second World Wars in which 2005). Accounts of child soldiering in Africa
young boys lied about their age in order to ight indicate that children have been used both by
as a sign of patriotism (Twum-Danso 2003:17). government forces and by guerillas battling
them (Briggs 2005). It has been argued that
Children have also taken part in revolutions of an estimated 300,000 children thought to
with strong ideological motivations, for be involved in wars around the world, nearly
instance the Red Guards during the Chinese half are found in Africa alone (Twum-Danso
Cultural Revolution (Honwana 2006:27). 2003). Angola, Burundi, the Central African
Children perform multiple roles for their Republic (CAR), Chad, the Democratic
groups, they might be used as active Republic of Congo (DRC), Guinea, Liberia,
combatants, spies, messengers, porters, cooks, Rwanda, Sudan, Sierra Leone and Uganda
servants, layers and clearers of land mines are some of the countries where the use of
and where girls are involved, they also serve child soldiers has been and still remains most
as ‘wives’1 to commanders. These roles were problematic (Hirsch 2001). However, “due
carried out by children in the past and the trend to the scarcity of reliable documentation and
has continued up to this day albeit with some the fact that most armed groups, including
remarkable differences. In modern conlicts, the government forces, deny their existence, the
roles played by children have become deadlier exact number of child soldiers is dificult
than before, with half the number of children in to assess and thus, they remain ‘invisible’
armed groups ighting in active combat on the ” (Afua Twum-Danso 2003: 12). Again,
battle ield and performing some of the most compared to other regions, Africa’s population
horrifying acts ever known to mankind (Peter et consists of the highest number of young
al 1998). people; about 45 percent of the population
(Afua Twum-Danso 2003). This presents
Conditions/factors leading to increased Africa with a daunting task: that of inding
numbers of children in African armed a long lasting solution to the phenomenon
conlicts especially given the fact that young people in
Africa have very limited livelihood prospects
The literature on child soldiers indicates that the and chances of their joining armed groups as
phenomenon seems to be a worldwide problem an economic alternative still remain very high
(Singer 2005, Honwana 2006, and Briggs (Peters 2004).
2005). Africa, and the sub-Saharan region in
particular,
8
