Due to violence in Mali, 115 schools have been closed in the north, affecting around 700,000 children; 200,000 of those kids have no access to a school nearby. (“Roundup: Crisis in Northern Mali”) As terrorists have seized the country, making it almost uninhabitable, thousands of children are consequently being denied their right to an education. These kids are being taken out of their homes and brainwashed, and sometimes forced to join the military, as young as eleven. They are armed with guns and sent to fight alongside grown men. (Ghosh) Some deem this a “war crime” since these child soldiers are also recruited as sex slaves and spies. (Ghosh).
According to former mayor Oumou Sall Seck of Goundam, a town in northern Mali, the country has been immensely unstable since the Libyan war in 2011, which left their already decentralized government even more vulnerable to the Jihadist criminal groups. When their military collapsed and terrorists hijacked the north, Mali was sent into a frenzy. (Seck) Though the war in Mali does not get much media attention, it has raised moral questions about using children as soldiers instead of stronger, more well-equipped men and how the experience of war can be detrimental to the young.
Many of the children in Mali have been deeply affected psychologically by the war. The children fortunate enough to live in refugee camps, although well cared for, have been left without a purpose in their life due to the closure of schools, as they do not have the skill or ability to do anything more than laborer jobs and frankly, they are bored. (Titz) The absence of a proper education leaves these children without a future, appreciation for their lives, or an ability to make life-defining decisions, which can lead to irrational choices, such as associating themselves with armed groups in the hopes of making something of themselves. If they are lucky enough to survive, it is often difficult for them to reintegrate into normal society. (Titz)
The presence of child soldiers makes many countries afraid to send their troops into Mali as they fear what could happen to their men in such an unstable environment, in addition to the effects of having to fight young children. For example, the Canadian army is very concerned about the safety of their men and is reluctant to send in more troops to help. (Fife and Chase) Their major apprehension is the toll that fighting youth could have on troops. Many like to believe that children are innocent and free from corruption, but when exposed to the gruesome reality of war at such a young age, the outcome could be very different. The psychological effects of firing against children could be extremely harmful, as it is taboo, so Canadian troops have taken precautions to be more aware when firing and have tried to set up security for the populations that might attempt to prevent the recruitment of child soldiers. (Fife and Chase)
Many social rights activists in Mali are calling upon those in the UN and the US to use their influence and strength in numbers to stop the violence and use of children in these unlawful acts. People of influence such as Oumou Sall Seck continue to spread the word and remind the world that these children are victims in need of dire help. (Seck) Organizations such as UNICEF have also begun to launch projects, hoping to return children to schools and keep them safe, which includes training teachers to help children cope with psychological trauma, and setting up small shops in refugee camps to keep them occupied and feeling useful.. (“Roundup: Crisis in Northern Mali”) (Titz)
Works Cited:
Fife, Robert, and Steven Chase. “Ottawa Weighs Risks of Child Soldiers in Mali.” The Globe and Mail, 15 Apr. 2017, www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-weighs-risks-of-child-soldiers-in-mali/article34210997/.
Ghosh, Palash. “Babies In Harm's Way: Mali's Use Of Child Soldiers Condemned By Human Rights Campaigners.” International Business Times, 15 Jan. 2013, www.ibtimes.com/babies-harms-way-malis-use-child-soldiers-condemned-human-rights-campaigners-1017254.
"Roundup: Crisis in north Mali disrupts schooling of 700,000 children: UNICEF." Philippines News Agency, 23 Feb. 2013. Global Issues in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A320034798/GIC?u=los42754&xid=c5805328.
Seck, Oumou Sall. “Save Mali Before It's Too Late.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Dec. 2012, www.nytimes.com/2012/12/29/opinion/save-mali-before-its-too-late.html.
Titz, Christoph. “Child Soldiers in Mali: A Skinny Boy with a Kalashnikov - SPIEGEL ONLINE - International.” SPIEGEL ONLINE, SPIEGEL ONLINE, 8 Sept. 2016, www.spiegel.de/international/world/refugees-in-mauritania-and-child-soldiers-in-mali-a-1111404.html.
I liked that you examined the psychological effects of war on not just the children, but soldiers who have to fight them as well. My main take-away is that having children on the battlefield is not only dangerous for them, it leaves deep mental scars in both themselves and enemy soldiers. A follow up question would be: Are there any other countries where using children as soldiers is common and how have they dealt with the problem?
ReplyDeleteThe different perspectives that your article focuses on makes the article really interesting, it's less unilateral. It's interesting to see the effects of such a terrible practice, this is truly an issue that should be more widely recognized. Are the actions taken to prevent the child soldiers effective, and are there any other ways that the forces fighting against them deal with the issue?
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