1

CHILD SOLDIERS IN AFRICA

The world in which we live today has become a siege of struggle and

conflicts. From different corners of the world the need for peace is increasingly

noticed at social, political, cultural and familial level. Looking at the hostility in

the world today, the need for peace goes along with the social, political and

economic struggle, and conflicts in the world, especially in the developing

countries. For several years, the use of child labor has been a subject of

discussion in different national and international organizations.

Historically, children have had fragile status that makes them becoming

prey to mature people in several forms. For example, in the Egyptian civilization,

Moses was saved from the massacre of children for the demographic and

political reasons; Jesus had the chance to visit Africa by escaping the cruelty of

the king Herod on children for the political reasons. The use of children is not a

new event in the world society. It is terribly discouraging to see conflicts

dragging on with a sharp increase of child involvement in military works in

Africa. Today’s warfare is often marked by an appalling level of child

exploitation that ends with violation, brutality, rape and other societal abuses.

Despite the alarming complaints at both national and international level

on the use of children in the army, the number of child soldiers in Africa is still

increasing continuously. The experts have estimated that child soldiers some as
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young as nine, are involved in conflicts in 30 countries around the world, most

cases involve the third world countries1. Jo Becker, children’s right advocacy

director for Human Rights Watch says that, “An estimated 300,000 children

under the age of 18 and some as young as nine or ten, are currently participating

in armed conflicts around the world.”2 Several reasons have been put forth by

the users of children such as search for peace, power, revolution and the

liberation movement.

For some people, the victory of David over the Philistine has become a

reference to support the militarization of children for the benefit of the nation.

Can we believe that God is for the militarization of children for the benefit of the

community? By authorizing Adam and Eve to multiply and be fruitfully, was the

divine purpose for children to kill, to murder or to disobey or else to disconnect

from the family relationship? It is true that the international world, the religious

groups and the African countries have to put their efforts together to bring peace

in Africa starting from the governments to the family level. The important

question that everybody should think of is: “How can we dream of a peaceful,

stable and joyful Africa, if the spirit of war continues to be enrooted in children’s

minds? The answer to this question will constitute the cornerstone of this paper

by defending theologically and socially the right of children.

1
Christian Century 115.28 (No. 28 (Oct 21)), 958.
2
Agreement Reached to Ban Child Soldiers. Christian Century, No 6 F 23. 2000. p. 202. Publication Type:
Article.
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Generally, the use of children in the 20th and 21st centuries is not

something new to the world. Several attempts at children’s exploitation have

been reported in different forms and in different parts of the world. These

historical forms of child exploitation constitute an inspiration to current political

leaders and a bridge to the current exploitation of children in militarization. In

America, Europe and Africa, the use of children dates from several centuries ago.

However, the continent of Africa has used children in militarization until today

for political and economic reasons. Therefore, this exploitation has become a

challenge to build a peaceful Africa and a prosperous generation.

Historically, in Europe the participation of children in war as soldiers was

not actively accepted; however, children were accepted to help as porters,

musicians, powder monkeys (small boys who ran ammunition to cannon crews.),

etc. Singer says that, “…drummer boys and powder monkeys were a requisite

part of any army and navy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.”3

Children were also involved in war during the French Revolution (1798). This

revolution did not lead children to serving as soldiers; rather, children worked

exclusively behind the lines, helping women and elderly tend to the wounded.4

3
P.W. Singer, Children at War (NY: Pantheon Books, 2005), 11.
4
Singer, 12.
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Another example in European history would be the attempt of children to free

the holy land during the children’s crusade in 1212.

In America, child labor constituted an important issue during the

industrial revolution. In the military, children were not considered as active

combatants. The earliest regulations of the US army (1802) stated that “no person

under the age of twenty-one could enlist without his parent’s permission.”5 In

1813, the age of children was lowered to eighteen without parental permission.

The new law stated that, “healthy, active boys between fourteen and eighteen

could enlist as musician with parental consent.”6 Like in Europe, children served

as musicians, powder monkeys, and midshipmen (teenage gentlemen office in

training). The rise of the social gospel in America in late nineteenth to twentieth

century through Walter Rauschenbusch clarified the position of American

church against the exploitation of children.

In Africa, the exclusion of children from warfare was evident in several

African traditions and cultures. The use of children in different parts of Africa

differs from the Post Colonial African exploitation of immature people. African

societies had strong recognition on the respect of children’s rights and their

value, especially their exclusion in battle. In some societies, the ethic of

5
Singer, 13.
6
Ibid. 13.
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preserving children from fighting and killing was considered as a way of

attracting blessings from the ancestors. For example in the Zulu tribe, it was not

until eighteen to twenty years old that members were eligible for enrollment into

the tribal regiment. This process was known as “Ukubuthwa.”7 In the Kano

region of West Africa, only married men were conscripted, as those unmarried

were considered too immature for such an important job as war.8 In the Achioli

tribe, today’s Northern Uganda, they used to preserve children and elderly

people; this practice was known as “Lapir.”9 In the Lapir tradition, children and

women were not targeted to be the tribe’s warriors. Today these practices have

been turned around on their heads and Uganda has become one of the most

involved countries in using child soldiers. In Nigerian society, men were graded

as irhoghae (youths), ighele also known as warrior and edion, the class of elders.

The shift from the youth class to ighele depended on the elders of the village and

also when necessary. Warriors in ighele grade were about 30 years old but not

yet elders. They acted as police force and performed communal tasks requiring

special skills. Traditionally, children were trained in different activities that

helped them to be prepared for their future responsibility. Bennett says, “Boys

would usually herd livestock or keep birds away from the crops, while girls

7
P.W. Singer, Children at War (NY: Pantheon Books, 2005) 9.
8
Singer, 9.
9
Singer, 10.
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would attend to domestic chores.”10 However, over the two last decades, Africa

has become engulfed in political conflicts that accelerate the forcible and

voluntary involvement of children in military.

Before the theological analysis of child soldiers in Africa, it is crucial to

understand the root causes of child exploitation in the 20th and 21st centuries in

Africa. Initially the post colonial period was expected to be a period filled with

prosperity, economic, social and political development. Unfortunately, even

though marked by decolonization and independence, several African countries

became a dwelling of confliction revolution among antagonistic ethnical groups,

political leaders and neighbor countries. Therefore, civil wars in this vast

continent have affected the economic, political and social sectors of many

countries. Children witnessed violence and became not only observers but also

active combatants in hostility. The exploitation of children in Africa is a result of

economic, social and political factors based on the ignorance of traditional

cultures and ethics on children. Political and military leaders took advantage of

children because of their immaturity and judgment to act irrationally. A twelve

years old child said, “I don’t know what I was fighting for. The rebels just told us

that we were fighting for the people and I don’t know what the war was all

10
TW Bennett, Using Children in Armed Conflict: A Legitimate African Tradition? (Norway: The Institute
for Security Studies, 1998), 19.
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about…”11 Children are targeted for recruitment because they represent quick,

easy, and low way for armed organizations to generate force, they are easy to

manage, they constitute cheap labor and reduce competition for leadership. A

Liberian militia commander said, “Children make the best and bravest…Don’t

overlook them they can fight more than we people. It is hard for them to just retreat.”12

Another military officer argued that, “Child soldiers are more obedient, do not

question orders and are easier to manipulate than adult soldiers.”13 Bennett also

mentions that, “Not only are young people ill-equipped to cope with the physical

dangers they encounter, but their immaturity poses an additional threat to safety

of other combatants.”14

Social factors provide a good environment for the child involvement in the

military. For instance, poverty plays a key role in child participation in army

groups. It affects other aspects of children’s life like access to school; it also limits

the employment or other economic opportunities for young people. Therefore,

poverty is a major environmental factor that makes children and young people

vulnerable to involvement in armed groups. Because of hardship, many African

parents have lost control on the intellectual and familial education of their

11
www.rnw.nl/humanright/index.html In Children and War by Sing
12
Singer, 87.

13
Graça Machel, "Impact of Armed Conflict on Children," (report review) at: http://www.unicef.org/graca/

14
Bennett, 1.
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children. A 12 year child said, “I don’t know where my father and my mother are. I

had nothing to eat. I joined the gunmen to get food…I was with the other fighters for

eight months. There was nothing good about that life.” Moreover, some children join

the army to assure their own security and that of their family from the

aggression of other soldiers. Christina, a young girl soldier from the Democratic

Republic of Congo said, “if you have weapon, you can defend yourself, if don’t have

any, you are beaten, one kills you, and one rapes you, even the boys.”

From the above explanation, many officers have defended their use of

children, arguing that child soldiers are fighting for the right cause to free the

population from the political despotic oppression and dictatorship. On the

children’s side some argue that, their involvement is to secure their lives and that

of their families. From the above arguments of both mature political leaders and

children, it is becoming confusing to determine whether the involvement of

children in the army constitutes a just war and fighting for the right cause. To get

the correct meaning of just war, it would be crucial to refer to Thomas Aquinas.

Thomas Aquinas said, “A just war may have two ends; one, the protection

of the common good against violence, the other the punishment of the enemy

who deserves to be punished.”15 He considered war as a punitive action being

against the commandment of love. The use of children in the army, with a focus

15
Stephen Chak Tornay, Thomas Aquinas on War; in Journal of Religion, Vol. 15, No 1, 1935. 95.
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on the African situation, has been noticed in many governments but mostly in

many rebellious groups. Aquinas said, “Rebellion is a sin because it endangers

the unity and peace of community.”16 According to Aquinas, for bellum to be a

just war, three things are necessary, “Sovereign authority, just cause and right

intention.”17 In several parts of Africa, children have been used by non sovereign

authorities like rebellious groups or by the irresponsible governments. Therefore

from Aquinas’ explanation of just war, the involvement of children in

militarization is illegal and unjust. Children are used mostly for the political and

economic benefit of the leaders. This exploitation can be considered as a violation

of the divine commandment of love and parent-children relationship. The Bible

can tell more about the biblical ethic and divine vision of God on children.

The example of David cannot be a model to compare to the militarization

of children in the 20th and 21st century. David fought for the right cause, to

defend the name of God of Israel. He was not pushed, educated, instructed by

the King to fight against the Philistines for his benefit. However, David was

trained by God himself (1Samuel 17). African children are exploited not for the

benefit of the society or nations as argued by military leaders but for the benefits

of the chief commanders. This is a violation of the right of children by taking

them prematurely out of their appropriate place, which is family.

16
Chak Tornay, 95.
17
Just War, as it was and is; By Johnson, James Turner Source: First Things, No 149, p.16. Article.
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From the Hebrew Bible perspective, children are God’s blessing to

parents. The Bible says, “Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents

are the pride of their children.” (Proverb 17:6). The Ten Commandments given

to Moses at Sinai were to keep righteous Israel’s relationship with God. The

Decalogue constitutes a key element of this covenant. The Decalogue plays also a

crucial and moral role to keep children bound to their parents by obeying not

only God but also their parents. From the Biblical perspective, children are to be

bound to their parents until the age that they can live in their own. Bennett says,

“Children taken from their family and communities are deprived of normal

process of socialization and education, and when peace returns, there is little

hope of veterans beings successfully reintegrated into the family.”18 It is true that

the involvement of children in military affects the parents-children relationship

and installs a new parenthood relationship that is based on immorality, cruelty,

drugs and lack of obedience. These aspects reflect what is written in the Bible

“For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money… disobedient to their

parents…” (2Tim 3: 2) and yet the fifth commandment says, “Honor your father

and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord

gives you.”

18
Bennett, 2.
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In Judaism as well as in Christianity, the fifth commandment emphasizes

honoring the father and the mother. For the sake of this paper, it is true that

when children become soldiers, they break up their familial relationship, willing

to be considered mature and independent. The sixth commandment says, “You

shall not murder/ Kill” (20:13 and Deut 5:17). It is terribly frustrating that when

children are recruited in the military, they first of all disconnect them from the

family order, and then they acquire the knowledge on how to manipulate the

gun with the main objective to “Kill.” As a testimony, a sixteen-year child

reported that, “I was attending primary school. The rebels came and attacked us. They

killed my mother and my father in front of my eyes. I was 10 years old. They took me

with them …They trained us to fight. The first time I killed someone, I got so sick, I

thought I was going to die. But I got better… My fighting name was Blood Never Dry.”

Children are given new names like Blood Never Dry, Master of Disaster, Kill more

…these names constitute a proof of their disconnection from the family order. This is

illegal and unethical.

From the Islamic perspective, nothing has been lost from what Judaism

and Christianity consider as “Ten Commandments”. Like the Hebrew Bible, the

Qumran also supports the moralistic nature of the parents’ relationship with

children and disregards the aspect of killing. Keeping the Jewish numbering of

commandments, the Qumran 17:23 says, “…and your parents shall be honored.
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As long as one or both of them live, you shall never shout to them; you shall treat

them amicably.” With reference to the sixth commandment in the Hebrew Bible,

the Qumran (5:32) says, “…anyone who murders any person who had not

committed murder or horrendous crimes, it shall be as if he murdered all the

people.” In his book on the Jewish, Christian and Muslims, Dr Vaux says, “The

theology of sixth commandment is the doctrine of the image of God in persons

and the derived doctrine of sanctity of human life”19

In Christianity, the Decalogue has been traditionally regarded as the

foundational laws that all Christians are to conform to. In the New Testament,

Jesus argues that he did not come to abolish the law but to enforce them.

Therefore, based on the fifth and sixth commandment, it can be interpreted that

Jesus did not come to encourage disobedience of children to their parents or to

encourage the murdering or else juvenile violence. Jesus said “you shall love

your enemies” (Mat 5:21-24). In post-colonial Africa, violence has become an

issue that affects the entire human society. In many countries of the Third World,

children have been trained not to love, or obey but to kill. Brett says, “The world

is currently witnessing a grave trend in the form of more than 300,000 children

actively involved in armed conflicts.”20 Was the divine recommendation to

19
Kenneth Vaux, Jewish, Christian, Muslim (Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 2003), 228.
20
Rachel Brett and Specht, Irma, Young Soldiers: Why they choose to fight (Colorado: Lynne Rienner
Publishers), 2004, xiii.
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human beings to be fruitful based on making killers from early age and increase

violence on earth? I do not think so. From Psalm 127:3-4 says, “Sons are a

heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.”

It is true that very little is known about the youth of Jesus Christ while on

earth. However, a few remarks that are found in the New Testament about Jesus’

childhood reflect a model of life to consider in today’s society as we think of

militarization of children or child labor. It does not mean Jesus did not know or

hear about war in his time; the evidence is that Jesus had a chance to visit Africa

with his parents when running from the hostility of Herod against two year old

and under age children.

The study of the second chapter of Luke gives some details of Jesus life as

a young boy. The model of Jesus is based on how his life with his parents and in

society. While very little, Jesus was presented to the Lord in the temple. This is

first of all the parent’s responsibility in observing the original tradition. (Luke

2:21-22). Jesus grew up in a responsible family, was cared by Mary and Joseph.

Children are to grow up in the family and get education from their parents. The

militarization of children anticipates unlawful and immoral behavior in the

physical, moral, and psychological development of young people. Many children

who are enrolled in the army are separated from parental protection and care for
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training in killing, sexuality and immorality. These unsecured places, also known

as military camps, are mostly characterized by lack of food, smoking, sexual

abuse and use of unethical language. These aspects affect the moral, physical,

mental, social wellbeing of young people by behaving wrongly and prematurely

as adults. Bennett argued something important about girls, saying, “They are

expected to go into battle, but, in addition, they are regularly subjected to the

miseries of sexual assault, rape and prostitution. At best a girl might find that she

is given as a “wife” to a military commander.” 21 The outcome of these practices

is death, disease, permanent injury, psychological trauma and social dislocation.

In his speech at the Eminent Persons Group meeting for the United

Nations Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on children, the Archbishop

Desmond Tutu says that, “We want a society where people are more important

than things, where children are precious; a world where people can be more

human, caring and gentle.”22 Children are to be respected by keeping them under

the family control until they reach the level of maturity where they can manage

their own lives. “The transition from childhood is therefore fixed at an age when

it is presumed that individuals will be capable of conducting themselves morally,

physically, financially and psychologically as adults.”23 It is immoral and there is

21
Bennett, 33.
22
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chil_war.htm
23
Bennett, 18.
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no excuse to militarize children, adds Tutu. He says, “It is immoral that adults

should want children to fight their wars. There is simply no excuse for arming

children.”24

It is very important to think of rehabilitation and reeducation or else

reintegration of child soldiers in their family life. The exposition of these children

in the military camps, where they have been trained in all kinds of abusive life,

becomes a challenge for their adaptation in their families. Because of that, it

sounds very difficult to dream of a peaceful and joyful Africa with this lost

generation. Singer says, “When children are present, violent conflicts tend to be

easier to start, harder to end, and greater in loss of life.”25 In most cases, after the

rehabilitation of children into their family, the adaptation becomes difficult and

sometimes the outcome is an application of violence among and against peers

and elders, or else disease and death. Lundin says, “It is difficult to reintegrate

into the community someone who has been away for long time; to forgive and

forget evil deeds; this is because these are matters concerning the very psyche of

the individual.”26 Knowing that the healing from the child soldiers’ doctrine

should be a process based on disarming, demobilizing, rehabilitation and

capping the transition back to childhood through reconciliation and reintegration

24
http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/scuk/jsp/resources/
25
Singer,95.
26
Miguel A Mausse, Child Soldiers in Southern Africa (South Africa: ISS, 1999), 1.
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with family and communities; many efforts have to be put forth from the

political and social leaders, the international community and churches to

reeducate these children and replace the spirit of violence with the spirit of

belonging to the family and fear of God through the love of neighbor. Serious

precautions have to be taken into consideration to protect the future generation

from the violation of the children’s right. The rehabilitation and reconciliation of

children with their family will be a success if the mature people who exploit

children acknowledge their immoral and unethical education to the innocent and

immature beings.

Children constitute the future of all societies; the current generation of

African children seems to be lost and contaminated with the postcolonial virus of

violence and war. Children are soldiers today not because they wanted it but

because of the influence of mature people for their own benefits. The church

takes a key position in finding solution to the problem of child soldiers and

building a peaceful Africa through the promotion of the spirit of reconciliation

between parents/ community and children, forgiveness between government and

rebels, love of parents to the children and children’s responsibility in the family.

Child soldiers’ practice is not acceptable in both Christianity and Islam.

Moreover, few aspects are to be taken into account before we think of a peaceful

and stable Africa; first of all mature people are to acknowledge their abuse on
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children and stop training premature people in violence; the spirit of love and

reconciliation has to be preached to both parents and children/ civil and military;

the international organizations like UN, have to enforce the regulation on

stopping the illegal international traffic of minerals that finances the conflicts and

motivates many rebel groups to use child soldiers in order to stabilize their

power. The solution for the African exploitation of children through military

groups has be based on, the participation of social, political, psychological,

religious, economic, cultural and ethical power to build a peaceful Africa with a

future prosperous generation.

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AFER, 46 No 2 Je 2004, 139-160

Bennett, T. W, Using children in armed conflict: a legitimate African tradition? ;

Criminalising the recruitment of child soldiers (South Africa: ISS) 1998.

Brett, Rachel and Specht, Irma, Young Soldiers: Why they choose to fight (Colorado:
Lynne Rienner Publishers), 2004.

Briggs, Jimmie, Innocent Lost, When Child soldiers go to war (NY: Basic Books), 2005.

Dufka, Corinne. Youth, poverty and blood : the lethal legacy of West Africa's regional
warriors (Washington DC: Human Right Watch), Vol.17, No 5 (A)-
March 2005.

Ezembe, Ferdinand, L’enfant Africain et ses Univers (Paris: Karthala), 2003.

Healey, MM and Sybertz, MM. Toward an African Narrative Theology (NY: Orbis
Book), 2002.

Human Right Watch, Democratic Republic of Congo : reluctant recruits : children and
adults forcibly recruited for military service in North Kivu (Washington
DC: Human Right Watch), Vol.13, No 3(A)- May 2001.

Grace, Machel, Impact of War on Children (Canada: UBC Press) 2000.

Máusse, Miguel A. Child soldiers in Southern Africa (South Africa: ISS), 1999.

Nabushawo, Justin Clemency, Child Labour: A Social Concern in Africa; Source: AFER,
46 No 2 Je 2004, 101-106. Publication Type: Article.

Singer, P. W, Children at war (NY: Pantheon Books) 2005.

Tate, Tony, Liberia, how to fight, how to kill: child soldiers in Liberia (Washington DC:
Human Right Watch), Vol.16, No 3(A) - February 2004.

Vaux, Kenneth, Ethics and the War on Terrorism (Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publisher),
2002

Vaux, Kenneth, Jew, Christian, Muslim (Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publisher), 2003.

Zwick, Edward, Blood Diamond movie (US, 2006).