CHILD SOLDIERS Global Report 2004 COALITION TO STOP THE USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS Matthew, whose picture is shown on the front cover, was a child soldier for seven months during 2003. He is now at school. Cover photo © Victoria Ivleva-Yorke The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers was formed in May 1998 by leading non- governmental organizations to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers, both boys and girls, to secure their demobilization, and to promote their reintegration into their communities. It works to achieve this through advocacy and public education, research and monitoring, and network development and capacity building. The Coalition’s Steering Committee members are: Amnesty International, Defence for Children International, Human Rights Watch, Jesuit Refugee Service, Quaker United Nations Office – Geneva, International Save the Children Alliance, International Federation Terre des Hommes, and World Vision International. The Coalition has regional representatives in Africa, Asia, Americas and Middle East and national networks in about 30 countries. The Coalition unites local, national and international organizations, as well as youth, experts and concerned individuals from every region of the world. COALITION TO STOP THE USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS www.child-soldiers.org ISBN 0-9541624-2-0 Child Soldiers Global Report 2004 This report covers the period from April 2001 to March 2004. Countries/territories where child soldiers are involved in active conflict (2001–2004) Africa Angola Burundi Central African Republic Côte d’Ivoire Chad Congo, Democratic Republic Congo, Republic Guinea Liberia Rwanda Europe and Eurasia Sierra Leone Somalia Russia Uganda Middle East and Americas and North Africa the Caribbean Israel/Occupied Colombia Palestinian Territories Iran Iraq Asia/Pacific Sudan Afghanistan Yemen India Indonesia Myanmar (Burma) Philippines Nepal Sri Lanka First published in 2004 by Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers 2-12 Pentonville Road (2nd floor) London N1 9HF United Kingdom www.child-soldiers.org © Copyright Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers ISBN 0-9541624-2-0 Original language: English Text and cover design: www.intertype.com Printed in China by Everbest Printing Company through Four Colour Imports Ltd, Louisville, KY, USA Contents World map 2 Mozambique 84 Ecuador 133 Namibia 86 El Salvador 135 Acknowledgements 7 Niger 87 Guatemala 136 Preface 9 Nigeria 88 Guyana 137 Rwanda 90 Haiti 138 Introduction 13 Sao Tome and Principe 93 Honduras 140 Africa 31 Senegal 94 Jamaica 141 Overview 31 Seychelles 95 Mexico 142 Angola 35 Sierra Leone 96 Nicaragua 145 Benin 38 Somalia 99 Panama 145 Botswana 39 South Africa 101 Paraguay 146 Burkina Faso 40 Swaziland 102 Peru 149 Burundi 41 Tanzania 102 Suriname 150 Cameroon 45 Togo 104 Trinidad & Tobago 151 Cape Verde 46 Uganda 105 USA 152 Central African Republic 47 Zambia 108 Uruguay 155 Chad 49 Zimbabwe 109 Venezuela 156 Comoros 50 Americas and Asia/Pacific 159 Congo, Democratic Caribbean 113 Overview 159 Republic of the 51 Overview 113 Afghanistan 162 Congo, Republic of 56 Antigua and Barbuda 116 Australia 164 Côte d’Ivoire 58 Argentina 116 Bangladesh 165 Equatorial Guinea 62 Bahamas 117 Bhutan 167 Eritrea 63 Barbados 118 Brunei Darussalam 168 Ethiopia 65 Belize 118 Cambodia 169 Gabon 66 Bolivia 119 China 170 Gambia 67 Brazil 120 Fiji 172 Ghana 68 Canada 122 India 173 Guinea 69 Caribbean (Dominica, Indonesia 176 Guinea Bissau 72 Grenada, St Vincent & the Japan 179 Kenya 73 Grenadines, St Kitts & Korea, Democratic Lesotho 75 Nevis, St Lucia) 123 People’s Republic of 180 Liberia 76 Chile 124 Korea, Republic of 182 Madagascar 80 Colombia 126 Laos 183 Malawi 81 Costa Rica 130 Malaysia 184 Mali 82 Cuba 131 Maldives 185 Mauritania 83 Dominican Republic 133 Mongolia 185 Mauritius 84 Myanmar 186 France 238 Middle East and Nepal 190 Georgia 240 North Africa 291 New Zealand 193 Germany 242 Overview 291 Pacific Islands (Cook Is, Greece 243 Algeria 294 Kiribati, Marshall Is, Holy See 244 Bahrain 296 Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Hungary 245 Djibouti 296 Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, Iceland 246 Egypt 297 Vanuatu) 194 Ireland 247 Iran 299 Pakistan 197 Italy 248 Iraq 301 Papua New Guinea 199 Kazakhstan 249 Israel 303 Philippines 200 Kyrgyzstan 250 Jordan 305 Singapore 204 Latvia 252 Kuwait 307 Solomon Islands 205 Liechtenstein 253 Lebanon 307 Sri Lanka 207 Lithuania 253 Libya 309 Taiwan 209 Luxembourg 254 Morocco/W Sahara 310 Thailand 210 Macedonia 255 Occupied Palestinian Timor-Leste 212 Malta 256 Territories 312 Tonga 213 Moldova 257 Oman 315 Viet Nam 214 Monaco 259 Qatar 316 Europe and Netherlands 259 Saudi Arabia 317 Eurasia 217 Norway 261 Sudan 318 Poland 262 Overview 217 Syria 321 Portugal 264 Albania 220 Tunisia 322 Romania 265 Andorra 221 United Arab Emirates 323 Russian Federation 266 Armenia 221 Yemen 324 San Marino 270 Austria 223 Serbia and Montenegro 271 Summary of Azerbaijan 224 Slovakia 272 selected international Belarus 226 Slovenia 273 treaties 327 Belgium 227 Spain 274 Bosnia and Herzegovina 228 Text of the Optional Sweden 276 Bulgaria 230 Protocol 329 Switzerland 278 Croatia 231 Tajikistan 279 Child soldiers 2004 Cyprus 233 Turkey 280 data summary 335 Czech Republic 234 Turkmenistan 282 Denmark 235 Methodology, terms Ukraine 284 Estonia 236 and definitions 354 United Kingdom 285 Finland 237 Uzbekistan 288 Glossary 357 Acknowledgements This report is based on extensive research Hetherington, Jeanne Paik, Glenda Ramirez on child recruitment legislation, policy and and Rightslink at Columbia University. practice in 196 countries. Its contents do Linda Dowdney, Kasper Jon Larsen and Paul not necessarily represent the views of the Tumelty were also involved in reviewing, Coalition’s Steering Committee member checking factual information and producing organizations, partners or funding bodies. charts and statistical summaries. The report covers the period from April I gratefully acknowledge the 2001 to March 2004. On the staff team, contribution of International Steering Victoria Forbes Adam was project manager Committee member organizations, whose and research coordinator. Enrique Restoy researchers and field officers provided and Claudia Ricca were responsible for invaluable comments and information reviewing, editing and drafting material for throughout the research and writing Africa and Middle East, and the Americas process. They are: Amnesty International, and Pacific regions respectively. The Defence for Children International, Human introduction was written by International Rights Watch, International Federation Coordinator Casey Kelso with contributions Terre des Hommes, International Save the by the staff team and members of the Children Alliance, Jesuit Refugee Service, Coalition steering committee. The report Quaker United Nations Office - Geneva, and was edited by Sarah Pennington and copy World Vision International. I acknowledge edited by Maggie Maloney both of whom in particular the long-standing commitment also reviewed the country entries. Coalition and support of Jo Becker, Rachel and Regional Coordinators Henri Nzeyimana Derek Brett, Martin Macpherson and Sarah (Great Lakes of Central Africa), Glenda Uppard. Ramirez (Southeast Asia), Andrés Vázquez Coalition members in Canada, (Latin America); and Karishma Budhdev- Colombia, Spain, United Kingdom and Lama (Middle East and North Africa USA researched and drafted country network secretariat) provided information, entries. Information was provided by comments and review from their regions. national coalition members and partners Secretariat Finance Manager Peter Coleman in Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Burundi, managed the budget and administration of Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, funds. France, Indonesia, India, Israel and the Country entries for this report were Occupied Palestinian Territories, Jordan, researched and drafted by a team of Lebanon, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, consultants. They were: Alison Dilworth, Philippines, Nepal, New Zealand, Rwanda, Joanna Griffin, Lourdes Hernández-Martín, Syria, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom, Charu Hogg, Catherine Hunter, Ewan Stein, USA and Venezuela. I also gratefully Paul Tumelty and Emma Visman. Additional acknowledge the contributions of many research and drafting was carried out other organizations and individuals across by Chris Bjornestad, Gamze Goktas, Bill all regions who contributed information to the report (for a full list of contributing Kamela Usmani of Save the Children UK and organizations, see www.child-soldiers.org). to Theo Sowa. UNICEF staff at New York The governments of Finland, Ireland headquarters and in field offices around and Switzerland provided financial the world provided invaluable information, support for the research, editing, commentary and support throughout the distribution and launch of this report. duration of this project. A debt of gratitude The governments of Canada, France, is owed to field staff in Afghanistan, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Burundi, Guinea, Indonesia, Niger, Panama, New Zealand and Sweden funded the Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand and Coalition’s operations. Their support Uganda. enabled the coalition’s worldwide network For translations I would like to thank to participate in the research process. The in particular Professor Veronika Dobrucki Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Trust, and her team of translators at Aconcagua the Oak Foundation and Trocaire also University, Chile. French and Arabic supported this project. translations were carried out by Olivier This report is