Children and War; A Comprehensive Legal Approach to the Problem of Child Soldiers in Africa. A Case Study of Uganda

TABLE OF CONTENT

DECLARATION ......•.......••............•..•.......•..•...........••.............••...........•..•...........•.............•.............•.•................. i

DEDICATION ..............................•.................................................................................................•.................. ii

APPROVAL ................................................................................................................................................ iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ......................................................................................................................... iv

LIST OF STATUTES AND INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS ..................................................... v

The Constitution of Republic of Uganda, 1995 as amended ..................................................... v

The Uganda People Defence Forces Act 2005 .............................................................................. v

The Amnesty Act Cap 294 .................................................................................................................... v

The Children's Act (2000), Cap 120 ................................................................................................... v

TABLE OF CONTENT .....•.........................................................................................................•...•..•............... vi

LIST OF ABBREVlATIONS ................................................................................................................... ix

CHAPTER ONE ...•........................•...........••............•...........•...•.............•...........•...........••............•.................... 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION .............•...............•.........................•.............•...............•......................•..•.................. 1

1.1 Background to the study ..•.........................•...........••...............•...•...................••................................. 1

1.2 Research questions ••.......•..........................................................•.........•.........................•.................... 2

1 3 Significance of the study •......•........•.............•............•.............•............•...........•..••.........•.................... 3

1.4 Literature review ...•............•.......................•..•...................................................•............••..•............... 3

1.5 The statement of the problem ..••.............•................•.........•..•.......•..•..............•......•...•.....................• 5

1.6 objectives of the study .....................•............••..........................•............................•..........•................ 7

1.7 Methodology ...............................•...................................................................•..........•....................•.. 7

1.6.1 Research Design ....•.............•.......................................................•...........•.................................... 7

1.7.2 Data Collection Instruments ............................................•..............•............................................ 8

1.8 Overview of chapters ......................•..............•............•.............•.....................................•..•................ 8

CHAPTER TWO ...•...........•....................••..............•..........................................•.......•...•...............................•.. 9

THE LEGAL PROTECTION OF CHILD SOLDIERS IN UGANDA ...................•.........••.........................•..•...•.......... 9

2.11ntroduction ............................................................................•........................................................... 9

2.2 The 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda as Amended ...................................................... 10

2.3 The Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces Act, 2005 .......................•.............••.........................•............. 11

2.4 The Amnesty Act cap 294 ...•..........................•............................•..........................•..........•......•........ 12

2.5 Children's Act Cap 59 ..............................................................•......................................................... 13

2.6 The four Geneva Conventions and the two Additional Protocols ................................................•... 13

vi

2. 7 Convention on the Rights of the Child ...•..............•.........................................•...........•..................... 15

2.8 African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child ....•.............•........................................•..•.... 18

2.9 The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) .......•...........................................•........ 19

2.10 ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention 182 .....................................•.......•...............•....•...... 21

2.11 The Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict ....••............................•. 23

2.12 Conclusion •......................••........•..•...........................•............•..••...........•..........•............•................ 26

CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................................................................. 27

CHILD SOLDIERS IN UGANDA: IN SEARCH OF ADEQUATE LEGAL PROTECTION ..... 27

3.11ntroduction .......••...........•.......••..•...............................................................................•.................•... 27

3.2 National Program me to Eliminate Child Labour ..............................•.............•................................. 31

3.2.1 National child Labour Policy ......................•.............•......................................•.......................... 32

3.3 International humanitarian law ...............•................................................................................•....... 32

3.4 International human rights law .......•........................................................•..........•.............•.•....•....... 34

3 .4 1 General ........................................................•...........................•..............................................•. 34

3.4.2 The "straight 18" position: Reasons for resilience ...............•.........................................•...•...... 35

3.4.3 The nature of state obligation ...................•......................................•...............................•........ 38

3.4.4 Direct and indirect participation in hostilities .........•...........•............•..............•............•............ 39

3.4.5 Voluntary recruitment ................................•..........................•............•..........................•........... 41

3.4.6 Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) .................•.......................................... 47

3.4.7 Girl soldiers ...........•..........•..................................................................................•...................... 49

3.4.9 Enforcement ....•...........•...........................•........................................•........................•..••........... 52

3.5 International criminal law .•..•.........•..................•..........•...............•.............•........................•............. 58

3.6 Conclusion ......................................................••..............••.....................................................•.......... 61

CHAPTER FOUR ...............................•........................................................•........•.............................•...•....... 63

4.1 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF WAR ON CHILD SOLDIERS .................••...........•............................ 63

CHAPTER FIVE ...........•..........••.......................•..............................................•.....................•..............••........ 70

5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION •............•...................................................•............. 70

5.1 HOW THE PROBLEM OF CHILD SOLDIERS CAN BE ADDRESSED IN UGANDA (RECOMMENDATIONS)

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5.2 Conclusion .....••..•.........•..........••.........................••..........•...••..............•..........•..........•..................•..... 74

BIBLIOGRAPHY .•..........•.•...........•................................................................................................................• 77

Books .•...................................•........•................•.........•..........................................•..............•.................. 77