 |
IN FOCUS: ARTICLE |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Children at War
by Anayat Durrani, 11.18.03
"My life is lost. I have nothing to live for." |
|
War. Guns. Combat. Violence. This is a daily reality for child soldiers around the world. Robbed of their childhood, they are trained to take up arms and commit horrific atrocities.
"We were told to kill people by forcing them to stay in their homes while we burned them down," says 15-year-old Kalami, a six-year veteran serving in one of the armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. "One day, my friends and I were forced by our commanders to kill a family, to cut up their bodies... My life is lost. I have nothing to live for."
More than half a million child soldiers live in more than 85 countries worldwide. According to the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers (CSC), these children — all under age 18 — are often impressed into government armed forces, paramilitaries, civil militia, and other armed rebel groups. And more than 300,000 of these children are active combatants in armed conflicts. Some are as young as eight years old.
The Cause
Why do children become soldiers? Poverty, lack of education, and economic or social pressure are among the reasons. Children who join these groups often are orphans, refugees separated from their families, displaced from their homes, or living in a combat zone. While some willingly join, many others are forcibly enlisted or abducted by armed groups.
"Children and youth are often kidnapped and forced to join militia groups in fighting civil wars and other conflicts," says L. Diane Mull, executive director of the International Initiative to End Child Labor. "These children are sometimes sent out in advance of the troops to draw the fire of snipers."
Militia groups seek out children because they are easier to control and influence than older soldiers. Once children are recruited, they are trained and indoctrinated. To keep children loyal, militia groups often force them to commit atrocities against their own family or neighbors. These types of practices serve as insurance that a child will never return to her or his home community.
A Dangerous Life
Child soldiers are both girls and boys, but girls often suffer additional injustices. In El Salvador, Ethiopia, and Uganda — where almost one-third of all child soldiers are female — girls are abused, raped, and in some cases, even forced to become military commanders' "wives."
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has endured seven long years of conflict, has the largest number of child soldiers. Children there are often sent to the frontline of combat, and forced to kill civilians as well as enemy soldiers. In September 2003, Amnesty International released a report, Democratic Republic of Congo: Children at War, which details the graphic accounts of children like Kalami.
Taking Action
The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers (CSC) has taken the lead in monitoring, reporting, and raising awareness on the use of child soldiers. Among its many activities, the group has advocated a "straight-18" policy to prevent the participation of children under 18 in armed conflict. These efforts are not being made in vain — the CSC has succeeded in helping return some former child soldiers to civilian life with their families and communities. Want to learn more? Check out the CSC Web site. |
|
|
|
Printable Version
Email this page