In the Sierra Leone civil war the inhumane use of child
soldiers became apparent. The rebel group would enter a village, terrorize the
inhabitants, and pillage the houses, kidnapping the children and frightening
them in to submission by killing their family. Throughout their time in the
army, the children would repeatedly be forced to observe acts of violence which
ensured their obedience. Unfortunately many of the girls that were kidnapped
were "sexually abused" and "gang raped". "It is estimated that 30% of
children involved in the nation’s war were girls between the ages of 8 and
18" (msnbc.com). Because of the horrific things these children
experienced, the road to recovery after the war was slow. Many former child
soldiers could never overcome their violent feelings, while others were forever
swallowed in the guilt of the
merciless killings they were forced to execute during the war.
The Forgotten War: The Sierra Leone Civil War. Dir. JP Keenan. 2007. Film.
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