International Laws and Child Soldiers: A Case Study of Mozambique and Sierra Leone

Abstract

Child soldiers have existed throughout history. However, the size of the issue in modern times is unprecedented, both in terms of the number of young people participating and the breadth and scope of the activity. Almost every continent (Africa, Asia, North America, South America, and Europe) has children (girls and boys) in warfare. This terrible epidemic has plunged to unfathomable depths due to the abundance and accessibility of small arms. Former child soldiers find it exceedingly difficult to reintegrate into civilian life after armed conflict, which is likely to have significant consequences for individuals and for society as a whole. This research explores the occurrence of child soldiers in both Mozambique and Sierra Leone. This analysis also highlights the gap in existing international legislation concerning the use of child soldiers during armed conflict. This study used Mozambique and Sierra Leone as case studies because Mozambique was one of the first cases of Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR), and soldiers under the age of 15 and the majority of female soldiers were excluded from the DDR programme, whereas child soldiers were officially included in the DDR process in Sierra Leone (2002). The Sierra Leone case has been used as a model for future DDR efforts by the World Bank and the rest of the world. This work was carried out using the methods of textual and critical analysis.