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Preventing Child Soldiering

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Child Soldiers and Restorative Justice

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Abstract

This chapter discusses the main findings, subdivided into three themes, pertaining to the prevention of child soldiering, as they emerged from the study. The themes comprise the challenges of reintegrating child soldiers into society, restorative preventive measures, and child soldiering prevention by collateral interventions or strategies. These suggest that a comprehensive preventive strategy is needed to halt the child soldiering practice. The concept of self-demobilisation of ex-child combatants, an experimental evaluation of peacemaking circles as a means of averting ongoing recruitment and use of minors as soldiers, as well as the prospects of Baraza to deter this practice, and the notion of vicarious justice, are the major contributions of this inquiry to the body of knowledge.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The Nyatura is a milita made of Hutu elements. This name originates from the Kinyarwanda language of Rwanda , meaning “hit hard”. They were constituted in 2010 to protect the Hutu interests and populations who fled in the DRC following the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. They fight alongside the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) against rival militias and armed groups they consider as a threat to the survival of the Hutus living on Congolese soil. They have also supported the Congolese national army against non-governmental rebels such as the APCLS, the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) and the Mai-Mai. The latter group was defeated by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) in 2013, with the support of thousands of the UN fighters.

  2. 2.

    Focus groups with high school boys and girls aged between 14 and 17 in Kiwanja, 19 May 2014.

  3. 3.

    Personal interview with Kalunga, a former child soldiers, Goma, 10 May 2014.

  4. 4.

    Maibobo in the Kiswahili local language refers to street children, delinquents and thugs. Interview with Chimene, a 15-year-old school girl interviewed in Goma, 11 May 2014.

  5. 5.

    Personal interview, Rushati, Nyahanga village, 24 May 2014.

  6. 6.

    Personal interview, Ngandu, Goma, 7 June 2014.

  7. 7.

    Experienced shared by child soldiers during focus group discussions, Masisi 10 June 2014.

  8. 8.

    Personal interview with Ngandu, Goma, 7 June 2014.

  9. 9.

    Child soldiers’ testimonies during peacemaking circles at Kiwanja and Rutshuru, May 2014.

  10. 10.

    For instance, one NGO leads mediations between child soldiers in CTOs and victims, and also with armed groups. Monetary reparation has been paid to victims; and to armed groups in case of child soldiers who exit fighting forces with ammunitions. Though arms are returned to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), for the safety of child soldiers, the NGO has to negotiate with armed groups and restitution amounting to 100 USD has to be paid for each AK 47 taken by child soldiers (pre-circle personal interview with a member of Child Protection NGO in Rutshuru, 25 May 2014).

  11. 11.

    Patient suggested this procedure because several child soldiers, even in the bush, listen to news in camps. This has been profitable in making children aware that there are structures that welcome children who leave armed groups, especially Radio Okapi set up by MONUSCO. Personal interview with Patient, Rutshuru, 26 May 2014.

  12. 12.

    The Interahamwe is a militia accused of perpetrating the 1994 Rwanda genocide. They found refuge in the DRC after running from the Rwandan Patriots Front who quelled the progress of genocide.

  13. 13.

    Personal interview with Ngandu, Goma, 7 June 2014.

  14. 14.

    Personal interview with Alpha Delta, Rutshuru, 26 May 2014.

  15. 15.

    Alpha Delta works as civil servant at Rutshuru, and at the same time as a humanitarian agent. He worked as a co-facilitator of peacemaking circles as part of action research under my supervision, in a campaign to combat child soldiering practice, between May and December 2014.

  16. 16.

    Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN Security Council. Document CRC/C/OPAC/COD/1, 18 April 2011.

  17. 17.

    Focus group with learners and members of the Union for Peace and Child Rights’ Promotion in Congo UPEDECO (Kiwanja, 20 May 2014); and Caritas CTO at Nyahanga village, 23 May 2014.

  18. 18.

    Interview with the president of UPEDECO, Kiwanja, 25 May 2014.

  19. 19.

    These are activities promoted by UPEDECO. Information provided by the one NGO working with demobilised child soldiers at Kiwanja (25 May 2014).

  20. 20.

    Interview with Patient, Nyahanga village, 20 May 2014.

  21. 21.

    Personal interview with CTOs Outreach programme supervisor, Caritas-Goma, Office, 5 May 2014.

  22. 22.

    Personal interview with Patient, Nyahanga Centre, 23 May 2014.

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  1. International Centre of Nonviolence, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa

    Jean Chrysostome K. Kiyala

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Kiyala, J.C.K. (2019). Preventing Child Soldiering. In: Child Soldiers and Restorative Justice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90071-1_13

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