In the Sierra Leone civil war, the
Rebels formed the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). This group terrorized many
towns including Freetown. There they captured many children and forced them to
join RUF. Because these children were young and impressionable, they were
easily motivated by fear. The
rebels would threaten to kill the children if they wouldn't join the RUF. Once in the army, they were forced to perform
a variety of duties. Some had to carry equipment, while others were
involved by being given a
gun and forced to become an active soldier in the war. One child soldier recalled burning down "an entire
town" and stealing "U.N vehicles". Another former child soldier
remembered his experience while being forced
to carry "heavy bags of salt" with his brother. For many
days both of the young boys endured the pain and fatigue of walking
without much rest, however the work became too much as his brother
eventually complained about exhaustion. Unable to stop them, this young
boy witnessed the tragic death of his brother as the rebel soldiers
callously shot him. In addition, the rebels often kidnapped girls for the sole
purpose of sexual abuse. A twenty- one year old girl told of the horrors
she experienced when the RUF kidnapped her. Immediately following her
capture she was raped "in front of her husband". After that she
admits to being raped "almost continuously" by seven rebel
soldiers. ("Sierra Leone Rebels Forcefully Recruit Child
Soldiers"). Former
child soldier Peter Gbondo stated ``The rebels cut off people's hands.
They cut out their eyes. They cut off people's noses, if you are not for the
rebels, they will kill you. That's what they said to us'' (qtd.
Maykuth). Unfortunately the horrendous acts the children
committed and witnessed makes it near impossible for them to return to normal
life. Andrew points out, "Returning the children to their communities
can be even more difficult. Their families often have next to nothing - no
beds, no schools, no income to buy food. And their communities may understand
only the horrible things that the children did and not the things that were
done to the children" (Maykuth). Clearly the practice of child
soldiers must be stopped as its cruelty has an everlasting negative effect on the lives of the children.
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