Child Soldier: Victim of Armed Conflict

Recruitment of children as soldiers is a disturbing trend and it is on increase in many parts of the world. Many children under 15 years of age are made to serve in armed forces which is a blatant violation of human rights law and also, international humanitarian law. Children are used in war zones because they have certain advantages over other soldiers such as, it is easier to intimidate them or to make them do as they have been instructed, unlike adults it is less likely that they will run away and they do not demand salary. Many of them are forced to join the army or are brainwashed and some of them join the army on their own because for them it is the only way to survive in the war driven zone. In countries like Liberia, Cambodia, etc children join the army to secure food and protection as those with guns can only survive. Recruitment by ISIL was reported in the Anbar and Ninewa governorates, and child soldiers were portrayed in social media, including as executioners. These children are used a suicide bombers, sex slaves, messengers, spies or are even made to fight on front lines. The main reason behind increasing use of children in armed forces is the unwillingness and inability of the government to solve this problem of child soldier. Many countries do not have adequate laws to tackle this issue or even if they have laws they lack the adequate mechanism to enforce them.

Graça Machel’s report has made shocking revelation of horrific abduction and forcible recruitment of child soldiers, dreadful sexual exploitation and other appalling crimes against children all over the world. The United Nations principal organs General Assembly, Security Council, Secretary General and his Special Representative for Children has adopted and enforced various measures, among them the reduction and elimination of recruitment and use of child soldiers. Most recently the recruitment of child soldiers and other crimes against children have gradually been criminalized in international law and prosecuted in international criminal tribunals. Though there have been some progress in countries like Somalia but still there is a long way to go as now these children have to be rehabilitated in the society.