Child Soldiers

As we all know, children of this century will become the future doctors, lawyers, presidents and many other important jobs that we need in every day life. Although we consider this true, in other countries the usage of children is outrageous. In non-states groups in Syria are using children as young as 15 year olds to fight their battles. These leaders recruit children by assuring them the privilege of education. Those who oppose won’t matter because they will then force them to join the group of child soldiers. As they begin, they provide schools teaching them the use of guns and how it functions. As they learn, they send them to do very dangerous tasks including suicide-bombing missions. An estimate of 300,000 boys and girls are in military forces around the world. What type of human would even think of having young, innocent and weak children to be part of a war that they don’t even want to be in? Having children to participate in war is already violating international law Groups like ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate have recruited a lot of members that start with age 14. More groups have used children, but for security purpose they are not mentioned. The death documented of male children in Syria has been 194. Other countries like Uganda has also been abducting children as young as seven-years-old by group LRA to train them and forcing them to fight in enemy lines. Some of these children have been able to escape from their captors and live to tell the horrible and extreme cruelty they went through. A reporter named Nairobi from Irinnews stated “As part of initiation into the rebel movement, abducted children are forced into committing inhuman rights, including ritual killings and mutilations.” A ten-year-old girl named Stella, has survived this horrible experience. Her foot was cut off from a rebel commander after falling behind from a group to “teach her to walk properly”. She was founded and rescued and now she is rehabilitating and in treatment. Children have also stated the horrible journeys to Sudan, which many of them die because of hunger and exhaustion. Reporter states that those who survive face worse inhuman activities in camps and also die. Imagine children of seven-year-old going through these conditions. They don’t even have the right to say they oppose because they know they will be punished or even killed. A commander named Kony, has been the reason why many children have been abducted and taken by force to become soldiers for his army. A thirteen-year-old Alfred Onen, decided to escape after his two sisters and brother were killed by Uganda people. He stated that only about 15 were not injured and about 150 were injured and killed. Families are suffering by seeing their kids being taken away from them knowing they could die in any second. IRC (International Rescue Committee) is an organization to stop the use of children for combat use. They provide immediate protection, health car and physiological help. This organization strengthens schools so there are places for former child soldiers and other children. This organization has developed in countries like Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Uganda. IRC believes education is the answer to this conflict and having other activities so kids can stay away from these type of environments. For more information visit these links. http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/06/22/syria-armed-groups-send-children-battle http://www.irinnews.org/in-depth/65776/23/uganda-lra-human-rights-abuses