UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMACY AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES CHILD SOLDIERS IN AFRICA: A CASE STUDY OF UGANDA AND SOUTH SUDAN BETTY CHERWON REG.NO.R50/69712/2013 SUPERVISOR: DR. ANITA KIAMBA A Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Masters in International Studies at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies (IDIS), University of Nairobi. MAY 2014 DECLARATION I declare that this research project is my original work and has not been presented before for an award of any degree in any other university. Signed………………………………………………………Date…………………………………. Betty Chebet Cherwon This Research project has been submitted for examination with my approval as the university supervisor Signed………………………………………………………….Date……………………………… Dr. Anita Kiamba Supervisor Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies (IDIS) i University of Nairobi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am particularly grateful to the government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for making it possible for me to undertake this course. To all those who gave their time and shared their thoughts regarding child soldiers, I am entirely grateful. My supervisor, Dr. Anita Kiamba gave unreserved support and guidance. Finally, I owe so much to my family. My parents for the continuous encouragement and Ryan and Riziki, you were and continue to be, my inspiration. Betty Cherwon Nairobi, 2014 ii ABBREVIATIONS ATT Arms Trade Treaty AU African Union CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child DRC Democratic Republic of Congo ICRC International Committee of Red Cross IDP Internally Displaced Persons IHL International Humanitarian law ILO International Labor Organization IMF International Monetary Fund LRA Lord’s Resistance Army NRA National Resistance Army OAU Organization of African Unity OLS Operation Lifeline Sudan RECSA The Regional Center on Small Arms SPDF Sudan’s People’s Defence Forces SPLA The Sudan People’s liberation army, SPLM Sudan People’s Liberation Movement SSIM South Sudan Independence Movement UN United Nations UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF United Nations Children Fund UPA Uganda People’s Army iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 1.0 Background of study ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................................. 4 1.2 Objectives of the Research ................................................................................................................ 4 1.3 Literature Review .............................................................................................................................. 5 1.3.1 Legal Frameworks .................................................................................................................... 5 1.3.2 Girl Soldiers .............................................................................................................................. 8 1.3.3 Consequences of conflict on children and the society............................................................. 10 1.3.4 Solutions to stop the phenomenon of child soldiers ................................................................ 11 1.4 Justification of the study ................................................................................................................. 12 1.5 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................................... 13 1.6 Hypotheses ...................................................................................................................................... 15 1.7 Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 15 1.8 Chapter Outline ............................................................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER TWO: CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS OF CHILD SOLDIERS ........................................ 18 2.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 18 2.1 Debates on child soldiering ............................................................................................................. 19 2.2 Recruitment and impact on Society ................................................................................................ 23 2.3 Role of girls in armed conflicts ....................................................................................................... 27 2.4 International legal frameworks ....................................................................................................... 29 2.4.1 Monitoring the implementation of Legal Frameworks ........................................................... 32 2.4.2 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 1989 ......................................................... 33 2.4.3 International Labor organization. Worst Forms of Child labour Convention 182 – 1999 ..... 35 2.4.4 The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on involvement of children in armed conflict ....................................................................................................................... 36 2.4.5 The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.................................................. 37 2.4.5.1 The African Committee of experts on the rights and welfare of the child .......................... 39 2.4.6 The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998) ............................................... 40 2.5 Inadequacy of International law to protect child soldiers .............................................................. 41 iv 2.6 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER THREE: CHILD SOLDIERS IN UGANDA AND SOUTH SUDAN .............................. 45 3.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 45 3.2 Case study of Uganda ........................................................................................................................... 49 3.2.1 Emergence of Child soldiers in Uganda ................................................................................. 49 3.2.2 Impact of Child soldiers on the Ugandan society ................................................................... 52 3.3 Case study of South Sudan.............................................................................................................. 53 3.3.1 Emergence of child soldiers in South Sudan ........................................................................... 54 3.3.2 Impact of child soldiers on the South Sudan society ............................................................... 56 3.3.3 Demobilizing Child Soldiers in South Sudan ......................................................................... 56 3.4 Initiatives to end the use of child soldiers in Uganda and South Sudan ......................................... 57 3.5 Legal instruments on child soldiers in Uganda and South Sudan .................................................. 60 3.6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 62 CHAPTER FOUR: A CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS OF CHILD SOLDIERS IN UGANDA AND SOUTH SUDAN ........................................................................................................................................ 63 4.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 63 4.1 “Constructing” child soldiers ......................................................................................................... 63 4.2 Role of the society .......................................................................................................................... 66 4.3 Role of Advocates ........................................................................................................................... 68 4.3.1 The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) ....................................................................... 70 4.3.2 United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) .................................. 70 4.3.3 Non-governmental organizations ............................................................................................ 71 4.3.3.1 Amnesty International ..................................................................................................... 72 4.3.3.2 Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers .................................................................... 72 4.3.4 A critique of rights on legal approaches ................................................................................. 73 4.4 Recovery and Rehabilitation of child soldiers in Uganda and South Sudan ................................... 75 4.5 Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................