As children are among the most severely affected by the ongoing conflict in Darfur, steps are being taken to end their participation in the widespread violence in the region.

By Sharon Lukunka

As defined by the Cape Town Principles of 1997 and the Paris Principles of 2007, a “child soldier” is any person under the age of 18 who is part of a regular or irregular armed force or armed group in any capacity, including, but not limited to, cooks, porters, messengers and those accompanying such groups other than purely as family members. This definition of child soldiers includes girls recruited for sexual purposes or for forced marriages. This definition does not, therefore, only refer to a child who is carrying or has carried arms in combat.

The reasons children join or are forced to join armed groups are numerous and varied. Some join of their own volition, seeking employment; others are recruited forcibly. Children affiliated with armed movements typically begin their work in support functions, often carrying heavy loads, including ammunition. Some children act as messengers or cooks, or perform other routine duties.

Mujahid, a 13-year-old former child solder from El Geneina, West Darfur, says it was his own choice to join an armed movement operating in the area. “We mostly worked as support staff, fetching water for the combatants as well as purchasing food and other essentials from the market,” he says. When asked about his reasons for joining, Mujahid says he initially believed in the movement’s cause. As time went by, he says, his idealism faded because children were not allowed to go to school.

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On 27 November 2013 in El Fasher, North Darfur, 13-year-old Mujahid receives instructions from his teacher. After several years assisting an armed movement by providing water and food to older combatants, he left the movement to go to school. Photo by Albert González Farran, UNAMID.