The Menace Of Child Soldiering To Humanity

 A child soldier is a young boy or girl under 18 years of age, who was forcefully recruited either into the federal army of his/ her country or rebel group, to engage in military combats against the enemy. It is an evil trendy practice commonly found in countries such as Afghanistan, Congo Democratic Republic, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Northern Sudan, Southern Sudan, Uganda, Central African Republic, and Burma. The menace of child soldiering did not begin today. During the US Civil War which lasted between April 12, 1861 and May 26, 1865, not less than 400, 000 children of less than 18 years old were recruited by both the Union (North) and Confederates (South) factions. According to UNICEF, there are approximately 300, 000 child soldiers in the world, with majority of them found in Africa. These unfortunate children, many of them about 10 to 12 years of age, are conscripted to fight in armed conflicts, often under threats of violence, torture, and death. Soldiering profession is a tough one, and more so if the soldier is coerced into it! Child soldiers are used in different capacities, including combatants, spies, messengers, cooks, launderers and dry cleaners, ground diggers for laying of mines. The plights of child soldiers are simply unimaginable. From 1988 to 2004, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) of northern Uganda, abducted children and youths and recruited them to join their guerilla warfare force. More than 60, 000 of them were among the guerilla force. In Sierra Leone, nearly half of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), and quarter of Government's armed forces consisted of children aged 8-14 years old. The recruitment of child soldiers by both State and non-State warlords remains a constant occurrence in Africa despite all the local and international efforts to combat the practice.

What are the causes of child soldiering? Some causes of child soldiering are:

1. Poverty and privations: 

Many children are lured into the army, whether national or ethnic army, due to poverty and lack of inclusive education, and socioeconomic opportunities.

2. Conflicts and instability: 

Child soldiers are mostly recruited in those areas or regions where conflicts and hostilities are looming. If there is no war, there would be no need to coerce children who should have been sent to school into the army.

3. Cultural and social norms: 

It is believed that some cultures do not see anything wrong with child soldiering. Rather, they see it as an opportunity for children to prove their might and masculinity as warriors who are rightly defending their land against external invasions. The fact that children are robbed of education, health, protection, life, peace and freedom, means obviously nothing to some faceless cultures. 

What are the consequences of child soldiering? 

1. Child soldiers are helplessly subjected to abuses, torture, and forced labour.

2. The trend of child soldiering hinders  the child's education and development, thereby making him a wasted destiny and liability and danger to the society.

3. The child soldier usually suffers from long-lasting psychological problems, including post-traumatic stress disorders (abbreviated to PTSD).

4. Lack of education and development also makes the child soldier unable to reintegrate into civilian lifestyle and successful life.

5. The child soldier usually exhibits perpetuation of cycles of violence syndrome. He does not completely stop his violent life even after leaving the army. He continues to torment the neighbourhood where he lives in. In the military, the authority administers drugs to soldiers to make them intolerant and unmerciful to anybody. With such a mental ill health, the child soldier perpetuates regular aggression to the society. In many cases, the child soldier after leaving the military barracks, resorts to armed robbery, banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, and terrorism, including other antisocial vices. 

To mitigate the menace of child soldiering, it requires a holistic and integrated efforts of Governments, local and international agencies to address the causes of child soldiering. Child soldiering can be prevented by the following strategies:

1. Promulgation of proactive laws and policies which will permanently abolish child soldiering.

2. The prevention of child soldiering cannot be accomplished without first tackling the problems of poverty, lack of inclusive education, and conflicts, head-on.

3. The perpetrators of child soldiering crimes should be arrested to face international laws against humanity.

Child soldiering is a violation of human rights, international laws, and right of the child. Several thousands of children have died because they were forced into the military against their wishes. All hands should be on deck to eradicate child soldiering lock, stock, and barrel.  

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