Child soldiers in the 21st century. The case of the democratic Republic of Congo - legal and sociopolitical perspectives

Abstract

Throughout the history of mankind, war proved to be unavoidable. Unfortunately, in most wars, children have been included in a variety of ways (Kabano, 2016). In spite of numerous global initiatives to provide protection for underage war victims, they are still being abducted and made to serve as soldiers, while contributing to the perpetration of international crimes, as child use in military force is considered a violation of international law (Kabano, 2016). The aim of this paper is to highlight the significant problem of child conscription and the wider participation of children in armed conflict within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In the course of describing the existing state conditions and focusing on the legal framework, we will be able to address the shortcomings in these areas that contribute to the fact that child recruitment remains unsolved, while the extensive reference to the crucial psychological, social and political dimensions of the problem will shed a light on the need to find alternative solutions, particularly in relation to dealing with childhood trauma and reintegration issues. DRC illustrates in the best way the complex issue of child recruitment, which is sustained by ongoing armed conflicts rooted in colonialism, lack of state guarantees, and the abundance of mineral resources. In this landscape, it is important to acknowledge that traditional legislative approaches to justice administration, as well as Western methods for managing child trauma, may not be fully effective. Therefore, it is necessary to explore alternative approaches in addition to the strict focus on state reconstruction.