Many DRC Children Volunteer to Fight
As long as I have been reading, researching and listening to stories about the horrendous things that are taking place in Central Africa at the hands of the LRA, I have never come across an article that has impacted me the way this one did. This article brings to light an aspect of children becoming soldiers that is never talked about, which is the concept that some child soldiers are in such a position because they volunteered themselves. Shocking as it is, it seems to be a fairly regular occurance in this conflict.
For some, the life of a soldier is better than that of a refugee or as part of an impoverished family. The saying in these parts of Africa is “with a gun, you can eat,” which is sadly true. In some communities the living conditions are so horrendous that life as a soldier would be more luxirous.
“Because of poverty and lack of viable socio-economic opportunities, including the inability to afford schooling, a significant proportion of Congolese children may choose to enrol in armed groups for lack of a better option.”
A recent study shows that for 47% of new enrollees the reason for for enlistment is “voluntary,” although that number must be taken with a grain of salt since it is the LRA who reports that type of data.
