Beyond Broken: Victims or Perpetrators? The Complexities of Reintegration of Child Soldiers

Deep Dive with Eve 🎙️💬

In this episode Eve discusses the reintegration of child soldiers. She is a student journalist with us on a placement organised by the Oxford University Career Services. This article was edited using the Hemingway Editor.

🎧 listen to Eve's backstory here - she discusses her motivation & research as well.

Childhood on the frontline: the Delicate Path of Reintegrating Child Soldiers into Post-Conflict Societies

Between 2005 and 2022. The UN verified more than 105,000 cases of children recruited and used by parties to conflict. The actual number is estimated to be around 300,000. 

Pathways to violence range widely. From abduction and coercion to a desperate bid to escape poverty or pursue revenge. Once entangled, with minimal training, these children are forced to participate in torture and killing. They act as front liner shields, undertake suicide missions and create explosives. Some as young as seven become perpetrators of unthinkable acts. Often against their own families and communities. Others are used as cooks, porters, messengers, spies or for sexual purposes. No matter their role. Children associated with armed forces are exposed to acute levels of violence. As witnesses, direct victims and as forced participants.

The Democratic Republic of Congo. Somalia. Syria. And, Yemen. Currently these countries have the largest number of child soldiers. Meanwhile, countries such as South Sudan. Uganda. Sierra Leone. Iraq. And Columbia. This problem was once widespread, now navigate the post-conflict phase. But the wartime experiences of these children persist. Long after the violence subsides and peace treaties are signed. This article delves into the profound complexities of post-conflict identity for former child soldiers. Underscoring the imperative for a nuanced understanding to shape future reintegration efforts.

Navigating Victimhood: The Dual Identity of Child Soldiers in Reintegration

It is now globally agreed that children associated with armed forces and groups are victims of conflict. All government and humanitarian intervention must treat them as such. However, this victimhood is complicated. Most children associated with armed forces and groups. They are also perpetrators of violence or crime committed under duress or manipulation. This duality makes the lived reality of their victimhood complicated. 

Legal and political discourse stresses the children’s inability to refuse violence. They are often given orders on threat of injury or death. If they disobey, fail or try to escape, they are brutally punished. Some are forced to take drugs which curb their sensitivity to violence. Others are brainwashed into willing participation. No two stories are the same but, fundamentally, a child’s mind is not developed enough to consent. They are victims in the deepest possible sense. 

The problem lies in reconciling the status of victim to lived experience. The permanent imprint of the atrocities follows children for life. And it is almost impossible to persuade someone that they acted without agency. That they truly had no choice. The guilt can be overwhelming. As a result, most struggle to fully identify with victimhood. 

The communities they return to exacerbate this challenge. Having been part of armed groups. These returnees often face hostility, discrimination, rejection or violence. This is particularly common where communities are still grappling with wounds inflicted by the same groups. In some instances, these children were compelled to commit crimes within their own communities. For instance, in Sierra Leone, some were forced to kill a family member. Or village member to ensure the trust was permanently severed. Seeking retribution, communities may resort to reprisal attacks. The chance of rejection is higher in cases of voluntary enlistment. 

Girls returning from conflict endure even more stigma. They are more likely to be subject to sexual violence. With many forced into becoming sex slaves or taken as ‘wives’ by commanders. As a result, they are often perceived as morally tainted or ‘ruined’. If they get pregnant during their time away, the rejection of their children may be even more severe. Community perception inevitably effects self-perception, amplifying feelings of guilt and responsibility. 

Therefore, reintegration efforts which focus heavily on innocence and victimhood might overlook challenges in self-acceptance and social acceptance. In doing so, they risk alienating crucial parties. The lived experience of former child soldiers challenges the clear distinction between victim and perpetrator. To reintegrate successfully, they must learn to navigate this dual role.

Handing Out Blame: the Ethical Minefield of Post-Conflict Justice 

Post-conflict justice is a core foundation of lasting peace. However, the blurred line between victim and perpetrator complicates this process for former child soldiers. For communities seeking truth and closure, their crimes cannot be ignored. But what does justice mean for a former child soldier? Should they be prosecuted for their war crimes? If so, how does individual victimhood balance against collective demand for accountability? What happens to the ‘victim’ status when child soldiers become adults?

Deciding on justice for child soldiers is an ethical minefield. First and foremost, liability needs to be traced up the chain of command. Those who recruit and use child soldiers shoule be held accountable. But this is not without ethical challenges. As spotlighted by the recent trial of Dominic Ongwen. 

At age 10, Ongwen was kidnapped. He was the way to school. Fighters for the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) picked him up. LRA was known for its brutal terror campaign in Uganda. From the mid-1980s until recent years. Reportedly 'too little to walk,' Ongwen’s abduction marked the beginning of a horrifying journey.  According to Private Eye, when caught trying to escape as a child, he was forced to skin another captive alive. He later underwent violent initiation ceremonies. Which included being tortured and forced to watch ritual executions. Raised in the LRA, Ongwen rose to fourth in command. He went on to organise terror campaigns and massacres across Northern Uganda. In 2021, the International Criminal Court convicted him of 61 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes. Importantly, Ongwen's story is not isolated. Experts estimate that up to 90% of LRA members were abducted as children.

Above all, this case underscores the urgency of reintegrating former child soldiers. Not only from a humanitarian perspective. But as investment in long-term and sustainable peace and development. As explained by The Justice and Reconciliation Project (a Ugandan NGO). Ongwen and other child soldiers “represent precisely the kind of complex political victims. Who, if excluded from justice pursuits, could give birth to the next generation of perpetrators in Uganda. Generations marginalised by the judicial sector and who have nothing to gain from citizenship and nothing to lose from war”. Understanding the diverse ways in which victim and perpetrator identities intersect is crucial in breaking cycles of violence. Upholding the values upon which peace is built: truth, reconciliation and justice.

Caught in Between: The Dilemma of Defining Childhood in Reintegration

A key challenge raised by Ongwen’s case is how to define childhood. The UN defines children as those under 18, with distinct protection needs from adults. When a child soldier turns 18, their legal status shifts radically. Whilst children involved in conflict are viewed as victims and non-agents. Adults are treated as responsible and willing participants. Once adult, they are often perceived as beyond redemption. 

The problem lies in the subjective nature of 'childhood,'. Shaped by cultural, social, and political constructs. In sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, cultural rites of passage into adulthood occur around age 14. Recruitment into armed forces cuts off childhood still earlier. Forcing children into premature adulthood without the necessary resources, education or life experience. The trauma built into every aspect of their lives does not dissipate when they demobilise or turn 18. Yet, they will soon face new adult roles and responsibilities such as employment and marriage. 

With all this in mind. Using an age threshold to determine adulthood feels rather arbitrary. Relative to the lived experiences of child soldiers. The discrete categories of childhood and adulthood are over-simplistic and inadequate. In order to avoid further marginalisation. Reintegration must acknowledge a more nuanced social identity. Encompassing the interplay of identity and agency across both child and adult worlds.

Beyond Brokenness: A New Narrative for Child Soldier Reintegration

The conventional image of the child soldiers sees them as broken. Brainwashed. And, brutalised. The perception of these youths is too often that they are irreparably damaged. Both emotionally and morally. Consequently, it’s not surprising interventions have concentrate on addressing trauma. Vulnerability. And, marginalisation. But, it’s worth considering how this approach can be harmful. Indeed, pivoting the narrative away from vulnerability might aid recovery. 

One way intervention falls short. The imposition of Western views on trauma and healing. Effective rehabilitation requires understanding the situation from the perspective of the young people involved. For instance, instead of imposing unfamiliar terminology. Reintegration must embrace the community's understanding of emotional distress. Former child soldiers might perceive the psychological aftermath of war through spiritual lenses. In contrast to medical frameworks like PTSD. Thus, traditional healing ceremonies can serve as transformative milestones for these individuals. For example, ritual washings. By prioritising local beliefs and practices. We can shift the narrative. This shows the individuals and communities that they internally possess the means and strength to recover.

Moreover, rehabilitation focussed on war experiences proves counterproductive when the greatest stress for demobilised child soldiers is their current living conditions. They cannot begin to heal from the past when their present reality is fraught with danger and uncertainty. Thus, reintegration efforts must address the socio-economic challenges of the post-conflict climate. 

Poverty, in particular, is a critical factor hindering recovery post-conflict. Families of ex-soldiers often lack the resources to support them upon return. Compelling these individuals to seek employment without experience or education. A considerable number, unable to sustain their economic needs, are driven back to armed groups. To combat this, UNICEF’s three-year programmes include education and vocational training. Empowering children to play active roles in rebuilding communities. They find purpose as agents of positive change. This scheme is a good example. Instead of emphasising the vulnerability of former child soldiers. Reintegration should focus on harnessing their profound capacity for resilience. 

To conclude, effective reintegration must understand the multilayered identity of child soldiers. Both as victims and perpetrators, children and adults, vulnerable and resilient. They also need to appreciate how socio-economically contingent these identities are. By carefully adapting programmes to specific contexts and communities. With this groundwork. Reintegration efforts have the potential to break cycles of violence. Empower individuals to rebuild their lives. And contribute to the overall resilience. And, development of countries emerging from the shadows of conflict. It is a crucial step toward fostering more just, stable, and compassionate post-conflict societies.

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