Selected Countries Using Child and Young Adult
Soldiers
*indicates countries with soldiers under age 15
| Afghanistan* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
|
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Afghanistan has signed (1990) the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Military Service is compulsory and the minimum age is 15 years old.
However, it has been reported that children as young as 12 are serving
in the army. Other treaties signed by Afghanistan include GC 1949,
ICCPR 1966, and ICESR 1966.
Information will be added at a later date.
Algeria has not signed the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of
the Child, but has signed the Conventions on the Rights of the Child in
1993. The minimum age for recruitment is 19 years old. While
the military service is compulsory for all men, women cannot serve even
on a voluntary basis. Military service lasts for 18 months and trained
men are available to the government for up to five years after compulsory
service has ended, and become part of reserve forces for up to 20 years.
It has been reported that children and youth are actively participating
in local militia opposing the government and in different armed groups
linked to the government. Armed opposition groups include the Islamic
Salvation Army (AIS), Armed Islamic Group (GIA), Islamic Front for Armed
Jihad (FIDA), Islamic League for Preaching and Jihad (LIDD), Armed Berber
Movement (MA). It is believed that the youth participating in Islamic
groups are often doing so because of economic distress, rather than for
religious beliefs. Other treaties signed by Algeria include GC 1949,
AP I, APII, ICCPR 1966, and ICESR 1966.
Angola has not signed the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of
the Child, but has signed the Conventions on the Rights of the Child in
1990. Angola has been engaged in civil war almost constantly since
their independence in 1975. Although the minimum age for voluntary
recruitment was fixed at 18 years for men and 20 years for women, in 1998
the Angolan Council of Ministers lowered the age from 18 to 17. Also,
women are not often recruited. The government claims that no one
under 18 is being recruited by NGOs and others have reported evidence to
the contrary. It is estimated that there are more than 3000 children
currently serving in the Angolan armed forces. It is reported that
children as young as 14 has been forced to enlist and also that the Front
for the Liberation of the Cabinda Enclave has recruited children as young
as eight years of age among its ranks. The armed oppposition group
UNITA has demobilized some child soldiers since 1996, but they continue
to recruit (through coercion and abduction) under 18s into their ranks.
Other treaties signed by Angola include GC 1949 and AP I.
| Azerbaijan (Nagorno-Karabakh) |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
|
|
Azerbaijan has signed (1992) the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Military service is compulsory, however, the minimum age is unknown.
It has been reported that children under 18 years of age are serving in
the army. Other treaties signed by Azerbaijan include GC 1949, AP
I, APII, ICCPR 1966, and ICESCR 1966.
| Bangladesh |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
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Bangladesh has signed (1990) the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Military service is on a voluntary basis and the minimum age is 17.
It has been reported that children under 18 years of age are serving in
the army. Other treaties signed by Bangladesh include GC 1949, AP
I, and APII.
Information will be added at a later date.
| Bosnia and Herzegovina* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
|
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Bosnia and Herzegovina have signed (1993) the Convention of the Rights
of the Child. It is unknown whether the military service is compulsory
or not. The minimum age is also unknown. However, it
has been reported that children as young as 11 are serving in the army.
Other treaties signed include GC 1949, AP I, and APII.
| Burma (Myanmar)* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
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Burma (Myanmar) has signed (1991) the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Military service is on a voluntary basis and the minimum age is 18.
However, it has been reported that children as young as 10 are serving
in the army. The only other treaties signed by Myanmar
are GC 1949.
Burundi has not signed the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of
the Child, but has signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in
1990. In its original report to the Committee on the Rights of the
Child, Burundi stated that the minimum age of recruitment is fixed between
the age of 16 and 25, but that is, in practice, nobody is enrolled below
the age of 18. While it has not been possible to obtain copies
of national recruitment legislation, on one hand, one source suggested
that the minimum age for recruitment was actually 15 years. The Government
did, however, acknowledge in its report the use of young children
no more than 15 years of age. It has been estimated that 8000-10,000
children currently participate in armed conflicts. Another source
mentioned that there are children between 14 and 17 in the regular armed
forces. Of concern is the existence of many military schools since
it is difficult to obtain accurate information on the situation in these
schools, but the minimum age is believed to be between 13 and 16.
For the schools specifically for corporals and warrant officers, the minimum
age for entry is believed to be between 14 and 17 years. An internal
armed conflict has been happening in the last five years. According
to several reports, children as young as 13-14 years of age have been seen
at checkpoints in the countryside. The opposition armed groups are
increasingly being made up of child soldiers, including both boy and girls
under 15 years of age. The Hutu opposition groups notoriously prey
on the most vulnerable children as forced recruits, such as the poor.
Often, families that refuse to give their children into opposition service
are the targets of attacks by Hutu groups. Burundi has signed GC
1949, AP I, APII, ICCPR 1966, ICESCR 1966, and ACHR 1969.
| Cambodia* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
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Cambodia has signed (1992) the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Military service is compulsory and the minimum age is 18. However,
it has been reported that children as young as 8 are serving in the army
and also that the opposistion group "Khmer Rouge" is using child soldiers
as young as 5 years of age. The only other treaties signed by Cambodia
are GC 1949.
Chad has not signed the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the
Child, but has signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990.
Military service is compulsory. The minimum age for recruitment is
set at 18 by law for volunteers and 20 for conscripts. However, it
is also legal for under 18s to volunteer with permission from their guardian.
Also, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, there
is no legal minimum age for participation in an armed conflict. Amnesty
International reported in 1996 that the government was actually recruiting
children as young as 12 into military service. Under 15s are often
used at checkpoints to arrest members of armed opposition groups.
Under 18s are also known to be participating in armed opposition groups.
In spite of all this, the government of Chad has also taken some steps
to reduce the use of child soldiers by both government and armed opposition
groups by calling for a discharge of all minors in 1991 and for their
reintegration into civilian life. The Ministry of Defense also created
a special office within the Prime Ministry with responsibility for approaching
rebel groups to advocate against the use child soldiers. Chad has
also signed GC 1949 and ACHPR 1981.
| Colombia* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
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Colombia has signed (1991) the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Military service is compulsory and the minimum age is officially 18.
However, it has been reported that children as young as 9 are serving in
the paramilitary. It has been reported that the government
armed forces use children (often former guerrillas) as guides or informants.
These children may be forced to participate. The UN office on Human
Rights has confirmed that guerilla groups recruit children from the age
of 12 upwards, either by persuasion or by making threats against their
parents. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has a
mininum age of 15 for recruitment and the People's Liberation Army (EPL)
has a minimum age of 16, but both groups admit to recruiting children younger
than these ages. Colombia has also signed GC 1949, AP I, ICCPR 1966,
ICESCR 1966, ACHR 1969.
Comoros has not signed the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of
the Child, but has signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in
1993. Military service is on a volunteer basis and the minimum age
of recruitment is 18. There is an armed conflict ongoing in
Comoros. The UNICEF has received information that the two separatists
groups in Anjouan have recruited young boys between 13 and 16 years.
Comoros has also signed GC 1949, AP I, APII, and ACHPR 1981.
Congo-Brazzaville has signed (1992) but not ratified the African Charter
on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Military service is
on a volunteer basis and the minimum age of recruitment is 18.
However, it was reported that recruitment of children into government-supported
militia has been systematic. There is an armed conflict ongoing in
the country and it is reported that children of 15 years of age were recruited
and killed in combat. Rodolphe Adada, the Congolese Foreign Minister,
said that more young children under the age of 16 had taken part in the
fighting towards the end of civil war. Also, it is reported by witnesses
from the rebel militia seeing many children under age of 14 and 15.
| Congo, Democratic Republic* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
|
More
Information |
|
Congo, Democratic Republic has not signed the African Charter on the Rights
and Welfare of the Child. Although the minimum age of recruitment
is 18, some agencies such as CNN attested that boys as young as 8 years
of age were fighting in the war. It was reported that both rebels
and government troops used boys as young as 7. Reports have confirmed
that the rebel groups are made up of many child soldiers of age 12 or 13.
Some officials have claimed that they will urge military leaders not use
children under 18, however, it is unclear whether this has amounted to
a change in practice.
Information will be added at a later date.
Djibouti has signed (1992) but not ratified the African Charter on the
Rights and Welfare of the Child. Djibouti has also signed the
Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990. Military service is
not compulsory and the recruitment is only on a volunteer basis.
No information on the minimum age of recruitment is available. Although
there is no war ongoing in the country, the Afar guerilla movement (the
Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy or the FRUD) includes
many young men and boys. Djibouti has also signed the GC 1949, AP
I, and APII.
| El Salvador |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
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El Salvador has signed the convention on the Rights of the Child on 10/17/1990.
In it, the Salvadoran authorities stated that voluntary miltary service
is regulated between the ages of 16 and 18. El Salvador has also
signed GC 1949, API, APII, ICCPR1966, ICESCR1966, and ACHR 1969.
Eritrea has not signed the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of
the Child. The minimum age of recruitment is 23 (for both male and
female). There is no confirmed recruitment of under age soldiers
at the present time, although the lack of systematic birth registration
makes it impossible to know whether the minimum age is being respected.
There has been a border conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Eritrea
made use of under 18s in its war for independence from Ethiopia; however,
it is unknown whether child soldiers have been used in current border conflicts.
Ethiopia has not signed the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of
the Child, but did sign the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991.
The minimum age for recruitment is 18 and there is compulsory military
service. Even though the Government was making serious efforts to
respect the minimum age of 18 years for entry into the armed forces and
that many underage children who wanted to join the army had been rejected
as recruits, two reports in The Independent (a British newspaper)indicated
otherwise. Based on the report, some of the Ethiopian prisoners of
war were children and they claimed to be abducted from school. There
is no way to check ages in Ethiopia, so it is often up to recruiters to
decide whether a young person is of age or not. Ethiopia is dealing
with border conflicts with Eritrea, but also faces an internal armed opposition
group called the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). Although it was alleged
that OLF recruited children before 1995, there is no information available
on the current status. Ethiopa has also signed GC 1949. For
more information about the case of Ethiopia click
here.
| Guatemala* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
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Guatemala has signed the convention on the Rights of the Child on 6/6/1990.
Laws concerning conscription are unclear. Civil-military schools
admit students aged 11-14 years of age. Once the war ended in 1996,
all guerrillas were accepted to be demobilized. From the 2959 guerrillas
who were demobilized, 214 were minors. Also, from the 2778 URNG troops
who responded to a survey, 99 were between the ages of 10 and 15 and 737
between the ages of 16 and 20. It was reported that the Civil Defence
Patrols (PAC), had forcibly recruited at least 20,000 children under the
age of 15. Guatemala has also signed GC 1949, API, APII, ICESCR1966,
and ACHR 1969.
| Hondurus |
|
Used by Opposition
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Hondurus has signed the convention on the Rights of the Child on 10/8/1990.
In honduras, there is no clear legal basis for conscription. The
Graca Machel report documented the existence of opposition guerrilla groups
which recruit minors. Hondurus has also signed GC 1949, ICESCR1966,
and ACHR 1969.
| India\Kashmir* |
|
Used by Opposition
|
|
India has signed (1992) the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Military service is on a voluntary basis. The government is not using
child soldiers, however, the opposition group (Kashmir) has been reported
to use child soldiers as young as 12 years old. India has signed
GC 1949, ICCPR 1966, and ICESCR 1966.
| Indonesia\East Timor* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
|
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Indonesia has signed (1990) the Convention of the Rigths of the Child.
Military service is compulsory and the minimum age is unknown (17 for volunteers).
Although there is currently no information available on the national recruitment
practice, it has been reported that children under the age of 15
are serving in the army. Indonesia has signed GC 1949.
| Iran* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
|
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Iran has signed (1991) the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Military service is compulsory and there is no age limits. The government
has been reported to use child soldiers well below 15 years of age.
The opposition group is also said to have used child soldiers. Iran
has signed GC 1949, ICCPR 1966, and ICESCR 1966.
| Iraq\Kurdistan* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
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Iraq has not signed the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Military
service is compulsory and the minimum age is 19, 18 year olds may volunteer.
There is currently no information available on the national recruitment
service. However, it has been reported that the opposition group
(Kurds) is using child soldiers as young as 10. It has also been
widely documented in the popular press that the government supports military
training for children under 15. Iraq has signed GC 1949, ICCPR 1966,
and ICESCR 1966.
| Israel\Occupied Territories* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
|
|
Israel has signed (1991) the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Military service is compulsory and the minimum age is 18 (17 for
volunteers). It has been reported that child soldiers under the age
of 18 are being used in the country. Israel has signed the GC 1949,
ICCPR 1966, and ICESCR 1966.
| Lebanon (southern)* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
|
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Lebanon has signed (1991) the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Military
service is compulsory and the minimum age is 18. It has been suspected
that the government and the opposition group "SLA" (South Lebanese Army)
are using child soldiers. Another opposition group "Palestinian Commandos"
has been reported to use child soldiers as young as 9 years old.
Lebanon has signed GC 1949, ICCPR 1966, and ICESCR 1966.
Liberia has signed (1992) but not ratified the African Charter on the Rights
and Welfare of the Child, but also signed the Convention on the Rights
of the Child in 1993. There is no military conscription in Liberia
and the minimum age for voluntary recruitment is 18. The government
claims that its armed forces do not recruit anyone below 18. The
reality, however, is that in the past all factions have heavily recruited
under 18s. According to the data collected in 1996-97, 18% of the
National Patriotic Front of Liberia were children aged under 18 (69% were
aged from 15-17). The Liberian Government has also denied allegations
of training child soldiers. Yet, a child rights advocate, Kimmie Weeks,
has claimed children have been recruited and trained as soldiers.
There have been reports of as many as 500 children between the ages of
10 and 17 seen engaging in armed combat drills. Liberia has also
been accused of backing rebels in Sierra Leone, groups who have widely
used under 18s for military service. Liberia has signed GC 1949,
AP I, APII, and ACHPR 1981. For more details about the Case of Liberia
click
here.
| Mexico* |
Used by Government
|
|
|
Mexico has signed the convention on the Rights of the Child on 21/9/1990.
It was reported that in July 1998, some 200 young people had integrated
a recuiting network It has been reported that the federal government
has been said to search for young people aged between 15 and 20 years in
order to form paramilitary groups, so to increase its presence in the Zapatista
areas. Mexico has also signed GC 1949, API, ICCPR1966, ICESCR1966,
and ACHR 1969.
Mozambique has acceeded to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare
of the Child (1998). Mozambique has also signed the convention on
the Rights of the Child on 30/9/1990. Although there is no armed
conflict in Mozambique, it was reported that many thousands of children
were used as soldiers in the former war between Frelimo and Renamo.
Despite the fact that there is no evidence of any underage recruitment,
the possibility of altering the age of recruitment in time of war is disquieting,
given Mozambique's history prior to 1992. Mozambique has also signed
the GC 1949, API, and ACHPR 1981.
| Nicaragua |
|
Used by Opposition
|
|
Nicaragua has signed the convention on the Rights of the Child on 5/10/1990.
It was reported by Radda Barnen, the former Contra rebels included many
youths. Nicaragua has also signed GC 1949, API, APII. ICCPR1966,
ICESCR1966, and ACHR 1969.
| Pakistan |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
|
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Pakistan has signed (1990) the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Military service is on a voluntary service and the minimum age is 18.
It has been reported that the government is recruiting children under 18
years of age. Pakistan has signed the GC 1949.
| Papua New Guinea |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
|
|
Papua New Guinea has signed (1993) the Convention of the Rights of the
Child. Military service is on a voluntary basis, though the minimum
age is unknown. It has been reported that children under 18 years
of age are participating in either government or opposition forces.
Papua New Guinea has signed the GC 1949.
| Paraguay* |
Used by Government
|
|
|
Paraguay has signed the convention on the Rights of the Child on 25/9/1990.
Despite the clear legal provisions which prohibit the recruitment of children
under the age of 18, the armed forces and the police practice forced recruitment
and the voluntary enrollment of minors between the age of 14 and 17.
According to another source, children as young as 12 have been forced to
perform military service. It is said that the average age of recruitment
in not more than 16 1/2 years of age. There is no current armed conflict
in Paraguay. Paraguay has also signed GC 1949, API, APII, and ACHR
1969.
| Peru* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
|
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Peru signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990. Military
service is compulsory and the minimum age is 18. It has been reported
that children as young as 11 served in the army. The opposition groups
(Sendero Luminoso and MRTA) are also said to are using children as young
as 9. Peru has also signed the GC 1949, AP I, APII, ICCPR 1966, ECESCR
1966, and ACHR 1969.
| Philippines* |
|
Used by Opposition
|
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The Philippines signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990.
Military service is compulsory and the minimum age is 18. The government
is not using child soldiers, however, the opposition group "NPA" has been
reported to use child soldiers. The Philippines has signed GC 1949,
APII, ICCPR 1966, and ICESCR 1966.
| Russian Federation\Chechnya* |
Used by Government
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Used by Opposition
|
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The Russian Federation signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child
in 1990. Military service is compulsory and the minimum age is 18.
However, there are youths as young as 17 in the army. The Chechen
separatist group has been reported to use child soldiers as young as 11.
The Russian Federation has also signed GC 1949, AP I, APII, ICCPR 1966,
and ICESCR 1966.
Rwanda has signed (1991) but not ratified the African Charter on the Rights
and Welfare of the Child, and has also signed the Convention on the Rights
of the Child in 1991. The minimum age for voluntary recruitment is
16. The minimum age for entry in a school for commissioned officers
is 17 (for non-commissioned officers it is 16). In 1994, the Ministry
of Defense committed itself to demobilize all child soldiers. It
was estimated that 5,000 persons below the age of 18 were members
of the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA). Because many secondary schools
refused to accept former child soldiers and because many of them had no
homes or financial support, many of these children asked to return to the
army, and the government proposed to review their applications on a case-by-case
basis. Many children are also being detained as suspects of committing
war crimes, even in cases where they were forced to participate in the
armed conflict. Some boys were reported to be as young as 8 years
old.
Although there is legislation to prevent the use of child soldiers,
it is not respected. Some school children aged between
7 and 14 are also being rounded up and taken to the war front. According
to one source, the minimum age is as low as 10 years for rank soldiers.
Up to 10,000 youth are recruited each year. There is a continuing
armed conflict between armed groups and the RPA. No declaration on
the non-recruitment of children has been make by the armed opposition groups
and militia fighting the government. The children who belong to rebel
groups have been recruited in the country and their age varies between
11 and 14 years. Rwanda has also signed GC 1949, AP I, APII, ICCPR 1966,
ICESCR 1966, and ACHPR 1981.
Sierra Leone has signed (1992) but not ratified the African Charter on
the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and signed the Convention on the Rights
of the Child in 1990, though to little effect. Recruitment is on
a voluntary basis and the minimum age is 18. In the view of one commentator,
"Sierra Leone has one of the world's worst records for recruiting children
as soldiers." The child fighters in the Civil Defense Forces (CDF)
can be as young as 8 (or whatever age they go through a traditional hunters
initiation). The government has made promises to stop using
under 18s, as has the CDF, but in practice, the use of children has not
subsided. In fact, it is systematically done. Children make
faithful soldiers, and are routinely employed as mine sweepers, human shields,
and for sexual services.
Reports detailed the fact that the two armed opposition groups: Revolutionary
United Front (RUF) and the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) recruit
many children below 18 years of age and assert that children as young
as seven are enrolled. A journalist from the French newspaper
Le Figaro claimed that most of the rebels are children not older than 14.
A reporter for the Herald Guardian who was captured by the ARFC/RUF also
testified that some of his captors were under ten years old. In mid-Febuary
1999, 34 child soldiers were handed to UNICEF and they are aged between
6 to 17. It has been estimated that one third of all underage
soldiers are girls. It is unclear how recruiting practices
will be affected by the recent ceasefire in the civil conflict in Sierra
Leone. Sierra Leone has also signed GC 1949, AP I, APII, and ACHPR
1981. For more information about the case of Sierra Leone click
here.
Somalia has not signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Somalia has signed (1991), but not ratified the African Charter on the
Rights and Welfare of the Child. Given the current situation in Somalia
and the lack of central government it is not possible to have detailed
information on child soldiers. Moreover, it is not possible to make
a distinction between governmental forces and non-governmental groups.
The boys who have joined militia groups are reported to be in the 14-18
age group. An overall Youth Survey conducted by UNICEF in 1998 shows that
only 1% of children between 14 and 18 years of age work in militia/security
staff. Some studies carried out in 1995 indicate that only
small numbers of children under 19 years of age were demobilized.
Children who were seen with militia often work as servants for the soldiers,
rather than as armed participants. However, according to the U.S.
Department of State, boys as young as 14 or 15 years of age have participated
in militia attacks. In the past, Somalia has signed GC 1949, ICCPR
1966, ICESCR 1966, and ACHPR 1981.
| Sri Lanka |
|
Used by Opposition
|
|
Sri Lanka signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991.
Military service is on a voluntary basis and the minimum age is 18.
The government is not using child soldiers, however, it has been reported
that the opposition group "LTTE" is using child soldiers as young as 10.
Sri Lanka has also signed the GC 1949, ICCPR 1966, and ICESCR 1966.
Sudan has not signed the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the
Child, and signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990.
The minimum age for recruitment is 18. According to many reports,
issued mostly between 1993 and 1996, the government had to turn to forced
recruitment. Children as young as 12 years of age were forced into
the armed forces or the Popular Defense Forces (PDF). The minimum
enlistment age for the PDF is believed to be 16, but younger children
have been recruited. In 1997, there were reports that security
members gathered young people in the streets for the PDF and that among
them there were children not older than 15. Witnesses also said that
school girls were parading in PDF uniforms. According to one source,
military commanders are quite willing to show primary school age recruits
to senior foreigners and this would seem to imply a widespread practice
in rural areas of using young children. The Sudan People's Liberation
Movement (SPLA) has pledged to honor the GC 1949 and the Convention on
the Rights of the Child, but there have been reports still of recruitment
of boys under 16. Even after they grow up and return home, they are
often stigmatised by their communities for having served in the military
group as children and are likely to be recruited as young adults back into
the SPLA. Sudan has also signed GC 1949, ICCPR 1966, ICESCR 1966,
and ACHPR 1981.
| Tajikistan |
Used by Government
|
Used by Opposition
|
|
Tajikistan signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1993.
There is currently no information available on the national recruitment
legislation. However, it has been reported that children under 18
years of age are serving in the army. Tajikistan has also signed
GC 1949, AP I, and APII.
Togo has signed and ratified the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare
of the Child. Togo has also signed the Convention on the Rights of
the Child in 1990. The legal minimum age for conscription is
unclear. Various sources claim that it is 17, 18, or 20. According
to some sources there are few under 18s in active service, however many
children aged 6-18 are employed in military barracks doing menial work.
Togo has also signed GC 1949, AP I, APII, ICCPR 1966, ICESCR 1966, and
ACHPR 1981.
| Turkey* |
|
Used by Opposition
|
|
Turkey signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990.
Military service is compulsory and the minimum age is 20 (18 for volunteers).
The government is not using child soldiers, however, the opposition group
"PKK" has been reported to use child soldiers as young as 7. Turkey
has also signed GC 1949, and ECHR 1950.
Uganda has signed (1992) and ratified (1994) the African Charter on the
Rights and Welfare of the Child. Uganda also signed the Convention
on the Rights of the Child in 1990. The minimum age for conscription
as well as for voluntary recruitment is 18. However, in its report
to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Uganda gave a different version
of its laws: "...the age of recruitment into the army is 18 years.
Any recruitment below that age should only be with the consent of that
person's parents or guardians or the District administrator of the district
in which the person resides. No person under the apparent age of
13 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces." This statement
contradicts the Ugandan constitution which bars the employment of persons
under 16 in hazardous work.
During the war in 1980s, large numbers of children were used as soldiers
by Museveni's National Resistance Army. In November 1998, parents
protested the secret recruitment by the Uganda's People Defense Forces
of 500 youths in Hoima. Most of them below 18 and with questionable discipline
records, were recruited without the consent of their parents. Uganda
is currently engaged in an internal armed conflict against different rebel
groups in the country: Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Lord's Resistance
Army (LRA), National Army for Liberation of Uganda (Nalu), West Nile Bank
Front (WNBF) and Uganda Rescue Front (UNLF-II). Both LRA and ADF
recruit children below 18 years of age. The LRA normally targets
children between 12 and 16 years of age for abduction and children are
mainly used as slave labour and all are trained as soldiers. The
ADF routinely abducts children from schools. The Ugandan army has
claimed to engage in rescue efforts on behalf of children forced into opposition
groups however, there is evidence that many of these children are
still treated as enemies. In January 1999, the Ugandan army executed
five teenage boys the ages of 14 and 17 suspected of being ADF rebels.
It has been reported by a confidential source that there are a number of
child soldiers from the WNBF who are currently in government custody, some
as young as ten. Uganda has also signed GC 1949, AP I, APII, ICESCR
1966, and ACHPR 1981. For more information about the case of Uganda
click
here.