Small Boys Unit

Last updated

The Small Boys Unit (SBU) was a group of children who were forcibly recruited by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) as militants during the Sierra Leone Civil War. The war began in 1991, when the RUF desired to overthrow the government and gain control of the diamond mines, a major source of revenue for the country. In 1998, 25% of the soldiers fighting in the war were under 18, and of those, 50% were abducted and 28% were under the age of 12. [1] The war ended with a ceasefire on 18 January 2002. [2]

Contents

The SBU in Sierra Leone was made up of over 10,000 children, mostly between the ages of 8 and 10, who were notorious for their particularly cruel crimes against civilian populations, including human mutilation and torture. With over 55% of the population of Sierra Leone under 18, there was a large supply of potential fighters. [3] Originally, the children were taken in order to carry ammo, food supplies and equipment to the other fighters. [3]

As the war progressed, children were taken to special work camps where the boys were trained for war and the girls were made into sex slaves. [4] The first weapon that most children were handed was an AK-47, considered a lightweight gun that was manageable for their small size. [5] Once they were sent out to fight, they executed the trades they were taught and engaged in the murder of innocent civilians and also those close to their family.

A key person in the formation of the Small Boys Unit was President Charles Taylor of Liberia. Taylor "is believed to be one of the first warlords to recruit child soldiers, who were organized into Small Boys Units." [6] During the war in Sierra Leone, Taylor acted as a means of obtaining weapons for the RUF, as Taylor would "trade their diamonds for weapons and in turn sold the diamonds to merchants exporting diamonds to Belgium." He allowed the RUF to use Liberia as a route for resupplying resources and was thought to directly control militant operations in Sierra Leone. [7] In addition, accusations aimed at Taylor claim he ordered his troops to physically consume captured enemies. [6]

Following the end of the war, millions of people were displaced and thousands of children brainwashed. Rehabilitation and re-education was the next step for the children. The Special Court for Sierra Leone has been established to address the human rights violations that occurred and, as of 2010, they are still conducting trials of those accused to be leaders in the war. While conditions have improved in Sierra Leone following the end of the war, children in 2010 are still in a compromising situation, with an estimated 250,000 refugees and 600,000 internally displaced people. [2]

History

The RUF, the operators of the SBU, was established as a strategy by the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as a way of spreading revolution across Africa. [7] RUF leader Foday Sankoh was trained in Libya at the secret military academy, World Revolutionary Headquarters. He trained along with Liberian President Charles Taylor, who further helped with the founding and solidification of the RUF.[ citation needed ]

Recruitment

Most of the recruitment of children to the army was forced. Commonly, RUF members would raid local villages and capture children. After their capture, it was not uncommon to force the children to witness or participate in the torture and killing of their relatives. [8] For some children, participation in the SBU became viewed as an opportunity. Children were considered ideal candidates by the SBU, as they were seen as "easily malleable and in times of conflict, additional factors can contribute to their recruitment as soldiers including poverty, education and employment, family and friends, politics and ideology, and culture and tradition." [7] One girl noted that she came to like the RUF who captured her, as she said, "They offered me a choice of shoes or dresses. I have never had decent shoes before." For others, benefits included a limited education that had long been diminished in their home towns. They were able to use scraps from textbooks and receive training in the art of bush-warfare. This presented an opportunity for educationally starved children to exert themselves and show off their skills. [2]

Actions of the SBU

During training, children were taught how to mutilate people. One common technique was the cutting off of civilians' limbs. Children were instructed to get the subject on the ground and shove the gun barrel to the back of the person's neck. Once he was helpless, another boy takes the victim's arm and lays it on a piece of wood then brings the machete down on it to make an amputation. After this step, the child soldier was free to cut anything else, including lips, nose and removing internal organs and making the victim eat them. [9] As of 2010, Sierra Leone has an estimated 10,000 amputees, one of the highest rates in the world, largely due to the actions of the SBU. [10] When members of the SBU came across a pregnant woman, the children would argue the sex of the child, then use a machete to cut the womb to discover the sex. [9]

Psychological effects

There were numerous psychological effects that resulted from being part of the SBU. In particular, these children suffered severe flashbacks. For some, the worst memory was when the rebels came to their home. One child soldier remembers how they poured petrol over the mother, father, two brothers and sister and set fire to them, watching as they ran around, burning alive before her capture. [9] Many children who have been child soldiers "report psycho-social disturbances — from nightmares and angry aggression that is difficult to control to strongly anti-social behavior." [11] Much of this was because the army forced the children to consume drugs, most notably cocaine and LSD, in order to loosen their inhibitions. The consequence of this was that the children suffered with addiction to drugs after the war and health related problems. [1] In addition, many of the children were branded or forcibly tattooed with the letter of their affiliated army, serving as a constant reminder of what they had been through. In order to help with this issue, UNICEF founded a relief project that provided a service to remove tattoos and disguise them. [1] In addition to removing the weapon from the child and taking them out of conflict, it is also important that the child be reintegrated into a family setting and a strong community environment. [11]

International policy and intervention

Prior to the war, in 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the UN General Assembly that developed law and policy directed specifically at children. The Convention, which is universally binding and non-negotiable, highlights rights that are unique to those under the age of 18. [12] There are two optional protocols included in the Convention; one pertaining specifically to the restriction on using children as soldiers. Specifically, it establishes "18 as the minimum age for compulsory recruitment and requires States to do everything they can to prevent individuals under the age of 18 from taking a direct part in hostilities." [12] It is clear that Sierra Leone violated this Convention during the war.

In 1998, during the final years of the war, the UN established the United Nations Observer Missions in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) "to monitor the military and security situation, as well as facilitate the disarmament and demobilization of former combatants." [13] In 1999, Sierra Leone signed the Lomé Convention, which lead to the formation of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone leading to the disarmament and demobilization of more than 75,000 ex-fighters, including child soldiers." [14]

On 6 January 2002, the Special Court for Sierra Leone was established by the Sierra Leone government and the UN to prosecute those involved in the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since November 1996. Following trial, 5 leaders of the RUF were indicted for their crimes. Additionally, as of 2007 and still ongoing until 2010, Charles Taylor is facing eleven charges relating to terrorizing the civilian population, murder, sexual violence (rape and sexual slavery), physical violence (cutting off limbs), using child soldiers (under the age of 15), enslavement (forced labor) and looting. [7] During the prosecution phase of the trial, Taylor denied recruiting or using children as combatants and claims to have no knowledge that children were being used as soldiers in Sierra Leone. [15]

Related Research Articles

Blood diamond diamond mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, an invading armys war efforts, or a warlords activity

Blood diamonds are diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, an invading army's war efforts, or a warlord's activity. The term is used to highlight the negative consequences of the diamond trade in certain areas, or to label an individual diamond as having come from such an area. Diamonds mined during the recent civil wars in Angola, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau have been given the label. The term conflict resource refers to analogous situations involving other natural resources.

Charles Taylor (Liberian politician) Liberian former politician who was the 22nd President of Liberia

Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor is a Liberian former politician and convicted war criminal who served as the 22nd President of Liberia from 2 August 1997 until his resignation on 11 August 2003.

Foday Sankoh Sierra Leonean warlord

Foday Saybana Sankoh was the founder of the Sierra Leone rebel group Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which was supported by Charles Taylor-led NPFL in the 11-year-long Sierra Leone Civil War, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. An estimated 50,000 people were killed during the war, and over 500,000 people were displaced in neighboring countries.

Revolutionary United Front Rebel army and political party in Sierra Leone

The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) was a rebel army that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later developed into a political party, which still exists today. The three most senior surviving leaders, Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao, were convicted in February 2009 of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Johnny Paul Koroma Sierra Leonean warlord

Major Johnny Paul Koroma was the head of state of Sierra Leone from May 1997 to February 1998. His alleged death has not been proven, nobody has found his body, hence he cannot be deemed to be dead. He was involved in criminal activities such as heavy drug trafficking. It must be pointed out he has since changed his name.

United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone organization

The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) was a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2006. It was created by the United Nations Security Council in October 1999 to help with the implementation of the Lomé Peace Accord, an agreement intended to end the Sierra Leonean civil war. UNAMSIL expanded in size several times in 2000 and 2001. It concluded its mandate at the end of 2005, the Security Council having declared that its mission was complete.

Second Liberian Civil War 1999–2003 civil war in Liberia

The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when a rebel group backed by the government of neighbouring Guinea, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), emerged in northern Liberia. In early 2003, a second rebel group, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), emerged in the south, and by June–July 2003, Charles Taylor's government controlled only a third of the country.

Sierra Leone Civil War civil war between Commonwealth-backed government and rebel factions

The Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002) was a civil war in Sierra Leone that began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government. The resulting civil war lasted 11 years, enveloped the country, and left over 50,000 dead.

Samuel Sam Bockarie, widely known as Mosquito, was a Sierra Leonean politician and army commander who served as a leader of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). Bockarie was infamous during the Sierra Leone Civil War for his brutal tactics, which included amputation, mutilation, and rape. He earned the nickname "Mosquito" for his ability to attack when his enemies were off-guard mainly during the night. During his service in the RUF, he befriended future Liberian president Charles Taylor, and RUF commander Foday Sankoh. When Sankoh was imprisoned from March 1997 until April 1999, Bockarie served as commander of the RUF in his place.

Special Court for Sierra Leone

The Special Court for Sierra Leone, or the "Special Court" (SCSL), also called the Sierra Leone Tribunal, was a judicial body set up by the government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations to "prosecute persons who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and Sierra Leonean law" committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996 and during the Sierra Leone Civil War. The court's working language was English. The court listed offices in Freetown, The Hague, and New York City.

<i>A Long Way Gone</i> book by Ishmael Beah

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier (2007) is a memoir written by Ishmael Beah, an author from Sierra Leone. The book is a firsthand account of Beah's time as a child soldier during the civil war in Sierra Leone (1990s). Beah was 12 years old when he fled his village after it was attacked by rebels, and he wandered the war-filled country until brainwashed by an army unit that forced him to use guns and drugs. By 13, he had perpetrated and witnessed numerous acts of violence. Three years later, UNICEF rescued him from the unit and put him into a rehabilitation program that helped him find his uncle, who would eventually adopt him. After his return to civilian life he began traveling the United States recounting his story.

The Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU), also known as the Anti-Terrorist Brigade, was a paramilitary force of the government of Liberia, established by then-President Charles Taylor in 1997–98. Chuckie Taylor, Charles Taylor's son, served as commander of the force for a period. The ATU was initially organized ostensibly to protect government buildings, the executive mansion, the international airport, and to provide security for some foreign embassies. It was a special forces group consisting predominantly of foreign nationals from Burkina Faso and The Gambia, as well as former Revolutionary United Front (RUF) combatants from Sierra Leone.

The Free Children from War Conference was a conference co-hosted by the French government and UNICEF on 5–6 February 2007 in Paris, France. The goal of the conference was to bring together countries, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations to discuss the issue of child soldiers. The 59 involved countries signed the Paris Principles and Paris Commitments, which update the Cape Town Principles and outline a practical approach to preventing the use of child soldiers and the reintegration of current child soldiers. The Principles define a child associated with an armed force or armed group as:

... any person below 18 years of age who is or who has been recruited or used by an armed force or armed group in any capacity, including but not limited to children, boys and girls, used as fighters, cooks, porters, messengers, spies or for sexual purposes. It does not only refer to a child who is taking or has taken a direct part in hostilities..

Human rights in Sierra Leone

Human rights in Sierra Leone are in a rather deplorable state, but have improved gradually since the end of its civil war in 2002. Among the major human-rights problems in Sierra Leone today, according to a 2011 U.S. State Department report, are "security force abuse and use of excessive force with detainees, including juveniles; harsh conditions in prisons and jails; official impunity; arbitrary arrest and detention; prolonged detention, excessive bail, and insufficient legal representation; interference with freedom of speech and press; forcible dispersion of demonstrators; widespread official corruption; societal discrimination and violence against women, discrimination based on sexual orientation; female genital mutilation (FGM); child abuse; trafficking in persons, including children; and forced and child labor".

British military intervention in the Sierra Leone Civil War British forces involvement in Sierra Leone, 2000

The United Kingdom began a military intervention in Sierra Leone on 7 May 2000 under the codename Operation Palliser. Although small numbers of British personnel had been deployed previously, Palliser was the first large-scale intervention by British forces in the Sierra Leone Civil War. In early May 2000, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF)—one of the main parties to the civil war—advanced on the country's capital, Freetown, prompting the British government to dispatch an "operational reconnaissance and liaison team" (ORLT) to prepare to evacuate foreign citizens. On 6 May, the RUF blocked the road connecting Freetown to the country's main airport, Lungi. The next day, British soldiers began to secure the airport and other areas essential to an evacuation. The majority of those who wished to leave were evacuated within the first two days of the operation, but many chose to stay following the arrival of British forces.

Child soldiers in Africa

Child Soldiers in Africa refers to the military use of children under the age of 18 by national armed forces or other armed groups in Africa. Typically, this classification includes children serving in non-combatant roles, as well as those serving in combatant roles. In 2008, it was estimated that 40 percent of child soldiers worldwide were in Africa, and that the use of child soldiers in armed conflict was increasing faster than any other continent. Additionally, average age of children recruited as soldiers appears to be decreasing. As of 2017, the UN listed that seven out of fourteen countries recruiting and using child soldiers in state forces or armed groups were in Africa: Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan.

Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone refers to the roughly 10,000-14,000 children who fought between 1991 and 2002 in the Sierra Leone Civil War. Children fought on both sides of the conflict. Nearly half of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), and a quarter of the governmental armed forces consisted of children aged 8–14 years old.

Benjamin Yeaten, widely known by his old radio call sign "50", is a Liberian militia leader and mercenary, who served as the Armed Forces of Liberia's deputy commander and director of the Special Security Service (SSS) during the presidency of Charles Taylor. Notorious for committing several war crimes, Yeaten was one of Taylor's most trusted and loyal followers and rose to the de facto leader of all of Taylor's armed forces and the second most powerful figure in the government during the Second Liberian Civil War. After the fall of Taylor's regime, he managed to flee his home country, and since then operates covertly in West Africa as commander, recruiter, and military adviser for hire. There are also rumours that Yeaten is secretly building a guerilla army in Liberia's hinterland.

History of children in the military History of recruiting children for military operations

Children in the military are children who are associated with military organizations, such as state armed forces and non-state armed groups. Throughout history and in many cultures, children have been involved in military campaigns. For example, thousands of children participated on all sides of the First World War and the Second World War. Children may be trained and used for combat, assigned to support roles such as porters or messengers, or used for tactical advantage as human shields or for political advantage in propaganda.

Alain Werner is a Swiss human rights lawyer, specialized in the defence of victims of armed conflicts, founder and director of Civitas Maxima (CM), an international network of lawyers and investigators based in Geneva that since 2012 represents victims of mass crimes in their attempts to obtain justice.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. "Sierra Leone", Child Soldiers Global Report 2008. Accessed 7 December 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Center for Security Sector Management. "Politics, War and Youth Culture in Sierra Leone" African Security Review. Accessed 7 December 2010. Archived October 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 Woods, Larry J. "Military Interventions in Sierra Leone: Lessons from a Failed State" Combat Studies Institute. Accessed 2 July 2012.
  4. ↑ Swain, Gill. "Blood in Her Hands: The Shocking Story behind Naomi Campbell's Gift from African Warlord" Celebs. Accessed 7 December 2010.
  5. ↑ BBC World Service. The Child Soldiers of Sierra Leone Part 1 Global Crime Report Institute. Accessed 7 December 2010.
  6. 1 2 Barrowclough, Erin. "U.S Court Convicts Charles Taylor's Son of Torture" The Times Online. Accessed 7 December 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Lipman, Janna. "Charles Taylor’s Criminal Network: Exploiting Diamonds and Children" Accessed 7 December 2010. Archived May 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ UNICEF "Children as Soldiers" Accessed 7 December 2010.
  9. 1 2 3 Sweeney, John. "Sierra Leone: Boys Taught to Torture and Maim" Archived 2010-11-02 at the Wayback Machine Daily Mail and Guardian. Daily Mail and Guardian. Accessed 7 December 2010.
  10. ↑ Sheila, Burke. "Child Soldiers and the War in Sierra Leone" Archived 2011-10-04 at the Wayback Machine Sierra Express Media. Accessed 7 December 2010.
  11. 1 2 IRIN "Africa: Too Small to Be Fighting in Anyone's War" Humanitarian News and Analysis from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Accessed 7 December 2010.
  12. 1 2 UNICEF "Convention on the Rights of the Child" United for Children. Accessed 7 December 2010.
  13. ↑ UNOMSILM. "Sierra Leone- UNOMSILM Mandate". United Nations. Accessed 7 December 2010.
  14. ↑ UNAMSIL: United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone. "Peace and Security Section of the Department of Public Information in Cooperation with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations" United Nations. Accessed 7 December 2010.
  15. ↑ Sesay, Alpha. "Prosecutors Accuse Charles Taylor Of Using Child Soldiers In Liberia." AllAfrica. Accessed 7 December 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.