Children in conflict
About the issue; where, who and why did these children become soldiers:
Almost every area in the world is faced with threats to our youth in regards to their education, health, and even lives, but we are currently facing one of the most grotesque, brutal threats to toddlers and teens alike, becoming child soldiers.
It
has been reported that there are children soldiers involved in armed conflict
in almost every region of the world such as Afghanistan, Burma, Central African Republic, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Chad, Colombia, DR Congo, The United Kingdom, India, Iraq, Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Thailand and Yemen. This war tactic and violation against human rights first began after the decolonization of many underdeveloped and poverty stricken areas during the mid twentieth century when the native, rebel armies were trying to overthrow the foreign implemented ministries. In addition to trying to take down the foreign leaders the rebel groups also tended to have ulterior motives such as "purifying" their countries or overpowering a minority. In order to do this these immoral, sick men felt they needed easily manipulated and "dispensable" army power, which they got from abducting local children from the villages they pillage and burn. As the unethical tactic gained awareness around the world other area's armies picked it up to use to benefit their civil wars and rebellions that overpower our world today.
There is thought to be about 250,000 children involved in armed conflict today, though due to the instability of these areas and hindrances to recording, finding, and successfully retrieving them, it could be up to one hundred thousand more. It is estimated that about 40% of child soldiers are girls, and almost all are under the age of sixteen. These children as young as four years old are forced to be armed fighters, rebel group servants, human shields, sex slaves, and suicide bombers in order to benefit the rebel parties that abducted them from their homes. In most cases the children are forced to watch their village destroyed and family murdered in front of them and then are given an ultimatum; commit a gruesome act and join or be killed. Children have reported having to commit cannibalism, chop up their schoolteachers with machetes, or in the case of a young boy, “bury my brother in a latrine after watching him get shot in the head."
This cruel, traumatizing forced act of murdering a relative ensures the kids cannot return home, if there is even one left, because of their atrocities committed. On the few occasions when former child soldiers are allowed back it takes years for the children to be able to control flashbacks, shock, nightmares, and paranoia even with counseling and rehabilitation. Though, this is assuming the child is even able to escape, be saved, or left to die and found by medical aid after months or years in service; a rare occurrence. Most die while under control of their captors due to malnutrition, battle wounds, disease, and brutality, or the effects of emotional trauma. Even still, there are quite a few children that develop Stockholm syndrome and actually protect their captors and have no desire to leave, or believe they don't. These young, innocent children lose their childhood, homes and family, childhoods and futures, and more importantly themselves the moment they are coerced and manipulated into being a child soldier.
There is thought to be about 250,000 children involved in armed conflict today, though due to the instability of these areas and hindrances to recording, finding, and successfully retrieving them, it could be up to one hundred thousand more. It is estimated that about 40% of child soldiers are girls, and almost all are under the age of sixteen. These children as young as four years old are forced to be armed fighters, rebel group servants, human shields, sex slaves, and suicide bombers in order to benefit the rebel parties that abducted them from their homes. In most cases the children are forced to watch their village destroyed and family murdered in front of them and then are given an ultimatum; commit a gruesome act and join or be killed. Children have reported having to commit cannibalism, chop up their schoolteachers with machetes, or in the case of a young boy, “bury my brother in a latrine after watching him get shot in the head."
This cruel, traumatizing forced act of murdering a relative ensures the kids cannot return home, if there is even one left, because of their atrocities committed. On the few occasions when former child soldiers are allowed back it takes years for the children to be able to control flashbacks, shock, nightmares, and paranoia even with counseling and rehabilitation. Though, this is assuming the child is even able to escape, be saved, or left to die and found by medical aid after months or years in service; a rare occurrence. Most die while under control of their captors due to malnutrition, battle wounds, disease, and brutality, or the effects of emotional trauma. Even still, there are quite a few children that develop Stockholm syndrome and actually protect their captors and have no desire to leave, or believe they don't. These young, innocent children lose their childhood, homes and family, childhoods and futures, and more importantly themselves the moment they are coerced and manipulated into being a child soldier.
Areas currently with active child soldiers:
The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Since Uganda’s independence from Britain in the sixties the country has faced continuous turmoil and conflict, especially the horrific atrocities that began twenty years later once Ugandan Civil war erupted; abducting and creating child soldiers. The civil war erupted when Uganda’s National Resistance army defended the Colonial implemented oppressive government, consequently facing usurpation threats and battles with the rebel forces, or the Lord’s Resistance Army (“Helping the Village of Hope”, 4). This guerilla group that began as an anti-tyrannical fight against the government led by Joseph Kony, a self proclaimed spokesperson of God, quickly turned towards working against the people instead of for them. As the group gained power the leader was able to try to execute his true goal; turning Uganda into a theocracy, a land ruled by him due to his proclaimed holy divination.
He corruptly believed he had to do so by not only overthrowing the national government, but also “purifying” the Acholi people, or the North Ugandans. Kony’s plan that, “if the Acholi do not support us, they must be finished,” was initially executed by a ragtag army of drug addicted teenagers and violent men rampaging through the country’s villages and cities (McDonnell, 100). Backed by the Sudanese government, the Lord’s Resistance Army roamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo destroying entire communities through burning, murders, disfigurements, and sexual assault of thousands of innocent people. Kony's rampage around the Congo aimed to obliterate any chance of opposition to his party as well as to strengthen his army with susceptible prey; the youth. After massacring all the adults, educated, the old and disabled, and even the teenagers, the cruel men then take the innocent, malleable, future children of the Acholi to serve as soldiers, porters, and sex slaves for their army. The amount of children abducted and forced to become child soldiers is constantly increasing in the Congo, with about 66,000 abducted in the last thirty years. http://www.child-soldier.org/child-soldiers-in-drc
The Philippines
For over forty years now the Philippine government and its people have faced four armed conflict situations between the local communist movement group, the government sponsored paramilitary troops, an Islamic Liberation Front, and a socialist Islamic Freedom Fighter Group. All of these groups, whether deriving from local, government, or rebel groups have been cited utilizing children soldier within their ranks. A United Nations report places an estimate that between thirteen and eighteen percent of the rebel forces in the Philippines are child soldiers. Out of the 40,000 armed rebels in the four armies, whether a communist group or muslim separatist force, over 5,000 are children and the numbers are only growing (academia).
The last few generations of Filipino children were born into a lifestyle of avoiding military raids, abductions, and rapes. Most are recruited by a military group before they have a chance to leave, or even enter high school, and this is a societal norm. The enlistment and concurring activeness of child soldiers is brutal and unethical, though children join on their own. "Poverty and lack of access to education make children and young people more vulnerable to the recruitment of armed groups. Faced with no foreseeable opportunities to improve their lot in life, they tend to find a sense of purpose and adventure in being a part of these groups" (voices of youth). Despite the slight sense of false security some of these Filipino child soldiers have, it is quickly overshadowed by the exposition to violence, sexual and mental abuse, and war. http://www.irinnews.org/report/92416/philippines-moves-to-end-use-of-child-soldiers-but-problem-persists
For over forty years now the Philippine government and its people have faced four armed conflict situations between the local communist movement group, the government sponsored paramilitary troops, an Islamic Liberation Front, and a socialist Islamic Freedom Fighter Group. All of these groups, whether deriving from local, government, or rebel groups have been cited utilizing children soldier within their ranks. A United Nations report places an estimate that between thirteen and eighteen percent of the rebel forces in the Philippines are child soldiers. Out of the 40,000 armed rebels in the four armies, whether a communist group or muslim separatist force, over 5,000 are children and the numbers are only growing (academia).
The last few generations of Filipino children were born into a lifestyle of avoiding military raids, abductions, and rapes. Most are recruited by a military group before they have a chance to leave, or even enter high school, and this is a societal norm. The enlistment and concurring activeness of child soldiers is brutal and unethical, though children join on their own. "Poverty and lack of access to education make children and young people more vulnerable to the recruitment of armed groups. Faced with no foreseeable opportunities to improve their lot in life, they tend to find a sense of purpose and adventure in being a part of these groups" (voices of youth). Despite the slight sense of false security some of these Filipino child soldiers have, it is quickly overshadowed by the exposition to violence, sexual and mental abuse, and war. http://www.irinnews.org/report/92416/philippines-moves-to-end-use-of-child-soldiers-but-problem-persists
Syria
Since the Syrian Civil War broke out four years ago between increasingly created rebel groups and the anti-democratic government. More than 200,000 Syrians have lost their lives in a war that began simply as government protests, and more than eleven million have been displaced and torn from their homes (BBC on Syria). This conflict that began recruiting child soldiers only a few short years ago is different than most because most of the children volunteer or are in pre-war youth associations that become militarized, though they don't have many other choices. A significant amount of children soldiers join to fight alongside their parents and siblings in a family unit to defend against raids or actively fight. Though, most become separated from their family in the ranks soon after due to deaths, abductions, and other unfortunate circumstances. This isolation from safety and family puts these child soldiers in more danger than they already in by leaving them susceptible to rape, physical abuse, petty theft, torture, and other coerced criminal activity. Most in child soldiers in Syria act as spies, guards, and smugglers but often are forced into armed conflict, sacrificial attacks, and sexual slavery. There has been a confirmed kill count of two hundred for children under the age of eighteen in Syria, and that's only the number confirmed dead, not active. These awful numbers, that are continuously growing and underrepresented, show how much at danger our children are around the world in rich and impoverished countries alike. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2015/02/13/the-rise-of-child-soldiers-in-syria
Since the Syrian Civil War broke out four years ago between increasingly created rebel groups and the anti-democratic government. More than 200,000 Syrians have lost their lives in a war that began simply as government protests, and more than eleven million have been displaced and torn from their homes (BBC on Syria). This conflict that began recruiting child soldiers only a few short years ago is different than most because most of the children volunteer or are in pre-war youth associations that become militarized, though they don't have many other choices. A significant amount of children soldiers join to fight alongside their parents and siblings in a family unit to defend against raids or actively fight. Though, most become separated from their family in the ranks soon after due to deaths, abductions, and other unfortunate circumstances. This isolation from safety and family puts these child soldiers in more danger than they already in by leaving them susceptible to rape, physical abuse, petty theft, torture, and other coerced criminal activity. Most in child soldiers in Syria act as spies, guards, and smugglers but often are forced into armed conflict, sacrificial attacks, and sexual slavery. There has been a confirmed kill count of two hundred for children under the age of eighteen in Syria, and that's only the number confirmed dead, not active. These awful numbers, that are continuously growing and underrepresented, show how much at danger our children are around the world in rich and impoverished countries alike. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2015/02/13/the-rise-of-child-soldiers-in-syria