Child Soldiers

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</div> <div id="subnav" class="limiter clear-block"> <div id="section-title"> <a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/topic/childrens-rights/child-soldiers" title="Child Soldiers">Child Soldiers</a> </div> <div class="subnav"><ul class="links"> <li class="first"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/news-filter/819">News Releases</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/publications/819">Reports</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/commentaries/819">Commentaries</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/multimedia/819">Multimedia</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/experts/819">Experts</a></li> <li class="last"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/rss/taxonomy/819">RSS</a></li> </ul></div> </div> </div> <div id="page"> <div class="limiter clear-block"> <div class="sidebar sidebar-right"> 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allowfullscreen></iframe></div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-field-copy-image-fid"> <span class="field-content"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.kintera.org/child-soldiers-treaty"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513064234im_/http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media/images/copy/ratify_child_soldiers4.jpg" width="322" height="220" class="imagefield imagefield-field_copy_image"/></a></span> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="main" class="clear-block"> <div id="content" class="clear-block"> <div class="panel-display panel-1col clear-block" id="taxonomy"> <div class="panel-panel panel-col"> <div><div class="panel-pane pane-views-panes pane-taxonomy-landing-page-panel-pane-3 pane-taxonomy-updatable-box"> <div class="pane-content"> <div class="view view-taxonomy-landing-page view-id-taxonomy_landing_page view-display-id-panel_pane_3 view-taxonomy-updatable-box view-dom-id-1"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/node/112941">Child Soldiers</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-body"> <div class="field-content">Thousands of children are serving as soldiers in armed conflicts around the world. These boys and girls, some as as young as 8-years-old, serve in government forces and armed opposition groups. They may fight on the front lines, participate in suicide missions, and act as spies, messengers, or lookouts. Girls may be forced into sexual slavery. Many are abducted or recruited by force, while others join out of desperation, believing that armed groups offer their best chance for survival. We are working to prevent the use of child soldiers and to hold accountable the people who send children to fight.</div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="panel-region-separator"></div><div class="panel-pane pane-views-panes pane-taxonomy-landing-page-panel-pane-1 pane-taxonomy-feature-page"> <div class="pane-content"> <div class="view view-taxonomy-landing-page view-id-taxonomy_landing_page view-display-id-panel_pane_1 view-taxonomy-feature-page view-dom-id-4"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/14/icc-landmark-verdict-warning-rights-abusers"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513064234im_/http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/crop-300x200/media/images/photographs/2010-drc-lubanga-crt.jpg" class="imagecache imagecache-crop-300x200 imagecache-default imagecache-crop-300x200_default"/></a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-image-caption-value"> <div class="field-content">Lubanga in the courtroom at the International Criminal Court.</div> </div> <div class="views-field-field-copyright-value"> <span class="field-content">© 2010 Reuters</span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/14/icc-landmark-verdict-warning-rights-abusers">ICC: Landmark Verdict a Warning to Rights Abusers</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content"><p>The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) guilty verdict against rebel leader Thomas Lubanga Dyilo for recruiting and using child soldiers in hostilities is a first step in bringing justice to the tens of thousands of children forced to fight in conflicts, in the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/drc"><u>Democratic Republic of the Congo</u></a> (DRC) and elsewhere. The verdict highlights the need to urgently arrest Lubanga’s co-accused, Bosco Ntaganda, who is currently a general in the Congo army in Goma, eastern Congo, and continues to evade justice.</p></div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="attachment attachment-before"> <div class="view view-taxonomy-landing-page view-id-taxonomy_landing_page view-display-id-attachment_1 view-dom-id-2"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/04/philippines-manila-again-drops-ball-human-rights-council">Philippines: Manila again drops ball in Human Rights Council</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Apr 4, 2013</span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/03/28/sri-lanka-probe-ltte-crimes-should-start-karuna">Sri Lanka: Probe into LTTE Crimes Should Start with Karuna</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Mar 28, 2013</span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/03/22/dr-congo-bosco-ntaganda-s-trail-atrocities-ends-icc">DR Congo: Bosco Ntaganda’s Trail of Atrocities Ends at the ICC</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Mar 22, 2013</span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/05/us-act-protect-children-conflict">US: Act to Protect Children in Conflict</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Feb 5, 2013</span> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="view-footer"> <a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/news-filter/819">More news »</a> </div> <div class="attachment attachment-after"> <div class="view view-taxonomy-landing-page view-id-taxonomy_landing_page view-display-id-attachment_2 view-dom-id-3"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <h3>Featured Content</h3> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-field-related-news-feature-nid-1"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/12/child-soldiers-worldwide">Child Soldiers Worldwide</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-related-files-feature-fid"> <span class="field-content"><div class="filefield-file"><img class="filefield-icon field-icon-application-pdf" alt="application/pdf icon" 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src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513064234im_/http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale-crop-200w-133h/media/images/report-covers/somalia0212_reportcover.jpg" class="imagecache imagecache-scale-crop-200w-133h"/></a></span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2008/09/05/dangerous-duty-0">Dangerous Duty</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-reportsynopsis-subtitle-value"> <span class="field-content">Children and the Chhattisgarh Conflict</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-reportsynopsis-cover-fid"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2008/09/05/dangerous-duty-0" class="imagecache imagecache-scale-crop-200w-133h imagecache-linked imagecache-scale-crop-200w-133h_linked"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513064234im_/http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale-crop-200w-133h/media/images/report-covers/cover_643.jpg" class="imagecache imagecache-scale-crop-200w-133h"/></a></span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2008/05/20/child-soldiers-global-report-2008">Child Soldiers Global Report 2008</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-reportsynopsis-subtitle-value"> <span class="field-content">Summary</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-reportsynopsis-cover-fid"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2008/05/20/child-soldiers-global-report-2008" class="imagecache imagecache-scale-crop-200w-133h imagecache-linked imagecache-scale-crop-200w-133h_linked"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513064234im_/http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale-crop-200w-133h/media/images/report-covers/Child_Soldiers_Global_Report_Summary_Page_01.jpg" class="imagecache imagecache-scale-crop-200w-133h"/></a></span> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="view-footer"> <a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/publications/819">More >></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="panel-region-separator"></div><div class="panel-pane pane-views-panes pane-taxonomy-landing-page-panel-pane-4 pane-taxonomy-news-listing"> <h2 class="pane-title">Child Soldiers</h2> <div class="pane-content"> <div class="view view-taxonomy-landing-page view-id-taxonomy_landing_page view-display-id-panel_pane_4 view-taxonomy-news-listings view-dom-id-7"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/04/philippines-manila-again-drops-ball-human-rights-council">Philippines: Manila again drops ball in Human Rights Council</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Apr 4, 2013</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content">Last June, the Philippine delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Council was an embarrassing no-show during an important vote on human rights abuses in Syria.</div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/03/28/sri-lanka-probe-ltte-crimes-should-start-karuna">Sri Lanka: Probe into LTTE Crimes Should Start with Karuna</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Mar 28, 2013</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content">The Sri Lankan government should act on the call by a government deputy minister to investigate war crimes by examining his own role in serious abuses.</div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/03/22/dr-congo-bosco-ntaganda-s-trail-atrocities-ends-icc">DR Congo: Bosco Ntaganda’s Trail of Atrocities Ends at the ICC</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Mar 22, 2013</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content">The Congolese rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda is on a plane to The Hague, where he will face justice at the International Criminal Court, almost seven years after the court issued its first arrest warrant against him.</div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/05/us-act-protect-children-conflict">US: Act to Protect Children in Conflict</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Feb 5, 2013</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content">The United States government should promptly carry out the recommendations of a United Nations committee of experts to improve protection of children abroad from armed conflict, Human Rights Watch said today. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child released a report and recommendations to the US government on February 5, 2013.</div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/05/dr-congo-war-crimes-m23-congolese-army">DR Congo: War Crimes by M23, Congolese Army</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Feb 5, 2013</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content">M23 rebels and Congolese army soldiers raped scores of women and committed other war crimes during the rebels’ occupation of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in late 2012. Ongoing talks among parties to the conflict, countries in the region, and the United Nations should ensure that any agreements include holding those responsible for war crimes to account and that rebel commanders with abusive records do not serve in the Congolese army.</div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/01/16/six-things-us-can-do-help-somalia">Six things U.S. can do to help Somalia</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Jan 16, 2013</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content">When the new Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, took office in September, the United States encouraged him to “usher in a new era of governance that is responsive, representative, and accountable.” This week, President Hassan Sheikh is in Washington to discuss how to get this done.</div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/01/15/mali-islamists-should-free-child-soldiers">Mali: Islamists Should Free Child Soldiers</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Jan 15, 2013</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content">Islamist armed groups occupying northern Mali should immediately release all child soldiers within their ranks and end the military conscription and use of those under 18. With France carrying out aerial bombardment since January 11, 2013, to block the Islamists from advancing farther south, rebel groups should remove children immediately from training bases in or near Islamist military installations.</div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/01/02/ending-cycle-abuse-congo">Ending the cycle of abuse in Congo</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Jan 2, 2013</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content">On Nov. 19, armed men from a rebel group called the M23 were looking for a prominent civil society leader in a village outside Goma, a provincial capital in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. He'd been in hiding for several weeks after receiving text messages threatening him for his public denunciations of M23 abuses. When the rebels didn't find him, they shot his colleague, killing him.</div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-9 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/29/syria-opposition-using-children-conflict">Syria: Opposition Using Children in Conflict</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Nov 29, 2012</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content">Armed opposition groups fighting in Syria are using children for combat and other military purposes, Human Rights Watch said today. Children as young as 14 have served in at least three opposition brigades, transporting weapons and supplies and acting as lookouts, Human Rights Watch found, and children as young as 16 have carried arms and taken combat roles against government forces. Opposition commanders should make public commitments to end this practice, and to prohibit the use of anyone under 18 for military purposes – even if they volunteer.</div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-10 views-row-even views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/20/learning-under-gun">Learning Under the Gun</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Nov 20, 2012</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content">Like many of the Somali youth I interviewed in Kenya, “Xarid M.” had braved the streets of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, for as long as he could to go to school. But that all changed the day the Islamist insurgent group al-Shabaab brought the war to his classroom.Like many of the Somali youth I interviewed in Kenya, “Xarid M.” had braved the streets of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, for as long as he could to go to school. But that all changed the day the Islamist insurgent group al-Shabaab brought the war to his classroom.</div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="more-link"> <a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news-all/819">more documents on this topic »</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer"> <div class="limiter clear-block"> <div class="clear-block"><a href="#header" class="back-to-top">Back to top</a></div> <div class="nav"> <a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/rss" class="rss-link">RSS</a> <div class="pipe-links"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/home">Home</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/our-work">Our Work</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/news">News</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/publications">Publications</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/multimedia">Multimedia</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/about">About Us</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/contact-us">Contact Us</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513064234/http://ff.hrw.org/">Film Festival</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513064234/https://secure.hrw.org/site/c.nlIWIgN2JwE/b.8671517/k.3F9E/Donate_to_Defend_Human_RIghts/apps/ka/sd/donorcustom.asp">Donate</a></div> </div> <div class="footer-blocks clear-block"> <div id="block-views-hrw_footer-block_1" class="clear-block block block-views"> <div class="bcontent"><div class="view view-hrw-footer view-id-hrw_footer view-display-id-block_1 view-dom-id-9"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-body"> <div class="field-content">Human Rights Watch<br/> 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor<br/> New York, NY 10118-3299<br/> USA<br/> Tel: 1-(212) 290-4700<br/> <br/> <strong><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/en/contact-us">Contact Us - Global Offices</a></strong><br/> <strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513064234/http://ff.hrw.org/">Film Festival</a></strong><br/> <strong><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/en/about/jobs">Employment</a></strong></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="block-tic-5" class="clear-block block block-tic"> <div class="bcontent"><div class="col-left clear-block"><strong class="vocab-header"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/regions">Browse by Region</a></strong><div class="item-list"><ul><li class="first first"><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/africa">Africa</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/americas">Americas</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/asia">Asia</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/europe/central-asia">Europe/Central Asia</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513064234/http://www.hrw.org/middle-east/n-africa">Middle East/N. 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Child Soldiers