By Eteteonline
On Monday, March 9, a video that has since gone viral showed roughly eighteen kids, all dressed in military uniforms, gathered in a straight line and celebrating in a remote forest.
Outrage and anger have been sparked by the footage of kids wearing full camouflage and thought to be terrorists.
Although the exact location is unknown, locals speculate that the children may be from the Ngwoshe axis in Borno State’s Gwoza Local Government Area based on the language they speak.
Ngwoshe town has been in the news in recent days due to a Boko Haram attack that killed a number of civilians, including military troops.
Due to their conscription by the opposing factions, children have played a significant role in the violence in northeastern Nigeria. UNICEF placed the number of conscripted child soldiers at more 8,000 since the commencement of the conflict in 2009.
Child soldiers are a vital resource in maintaining and extending the insurgency, and their tenacity, perseverance, and fortitude have made it challenging to defeat Boko Haram and ISWAP.
Children are less inclined to challenge the behavior of adults since they are readily indoctrinated and brainwashed. Additionally, violent extremists and violent beliefs spread by armed groups radicalize them. Children are more susceptible to deceit and manipulation than adults. The majority of the kids were kidnapped from homes, playgrounds, and schools and coerced into serving in the armed groups.
Child soldiers are used as combatants in front-line conflicts, terrorist attacks, and the execution of hostages or detainees. Due to their ease of manipulation and ability to function in public spaces with little fear, children have participated in lethal missions and functioned as foot soldiers. Children have been used as suicide bombers and as weapons. As non-combatants, children are employed as messengers, couriers, spies, guards, potters, and cooks.
The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a pro-government militia, signed an Action Plan in 2017 pledging to stop using minors in the fighting after it was condemned internationally. CJTF freed more than 2,000 children after discharging 894 youngsters in one go, including 106 girls. The UN responded to this by removing the group from its list of organizations that recruit child soldiers.
Despite not formally releasing their juvenile conscripts, Boko Haram and ISWAP were unable to retain the children since the Nigerian military had largely destroyed, neutralized, or degraded them.
But in the wake of ISWAP and Boko Haram’s comeback, the organizations have started recruiting young people to fight. The 18 kids in the March 9 video might be a part of a bigger group of kids who joined the group.
International law punishes the recruitment of minors into the armed forces. International law has developed a system for prosecuting and punishing those who violate the ban on the use of child soldiers.
Child recruiting is considered a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and those who engage in it are held accountable. Therefore, the accountability doctrine guarantees that those engaged in the practice will face legal action in either domestic or foreign courts.
Therefore, there should be an immediate suspension of child conscription by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other armed groups. The ICC should look into ways to prosecute these organizations for enlisting minors to fight.
Add comment