Every child deserves the opportunity to play, laugh and learn. Civil war broke out in sierra leone in 1991 and lasted more than a decade. In what was once the poorest country on earth, the 11year civil war threw the lives of sierra leones. I n 2009, around the time that i had just read sierra leonean author ishmael beahs first book a memoir titled a long way gone i watched a film, ezra, by nigerian filmmaker newton aduaka a. Freetown the rebel revolutionary united front ruf of sierra leone is forcing children, including demobilized child soldiers, to join its ranks and engage in combat, human rights watch said today. Freetown the rebel revolutionary united front ruf of sierra leone is forcing children, including demobilized child soldiers, to join its ranks and engage in combat, human rights watch said. Sierra leone, in particular, has struck an interest because of the many films and readings that try to depict this story of the civil war. Child soldiers worldwide have become a huge issue, leading to many unnecessary deaths as well as lifelong mental trauma. The sierra leone war was not the result of spontaneous. Set against the backdrop of the civil war that took place in sierra leone from 1991 to 2001, blood diamond is about south african mercenary danny archers played by leonardo dicaprio promise to help a poor west african fisherman, solomon vandy played by djimon hounsou, find his family. After being traumatised by a civil war in their own country. Former sierra leone child soldier helps other victims. My article on susan sheplers book childhood deployed sheplers recent book, childhood deployed. The book is a firsthand account of beahs time as a child soldier during the civil war in sierra leone 1990s.
At the age of, ishmael beah was forced to become a child soldier in a horrific civil war that started in 1991 in sierra leone. A long way gone by ishmael beah is an autobiographical account of his late childhood and impressment into the army as a child soldier. Ishmael is eventually claimed as a child soldier for the sierra leone armed forces at age. Tragically, violence and armed conflict have become commonplace in the lives of many children around the world. Our biggest challenge was finding female fighters who would tell their stories, as women and girls who fought in the war can be ostracized if people know about their past. Theresa betancourt, a professor of child health and human rights at harvard, says the solutions should not be so black and white. Sierra leone rebel official arrested in finland over war. The former sierra leonean warlord who during the civil war in his country was a lieutenantcolonel and spokesman of the ruf rebel. Sierra leones devastating civil war lasted from 19912002, leavingmore than 50,000 dead and over two million displaced as refugees. Nov 01, 2008 civil war broke out in sierra leone in 1991 and lasted more than a decade. Child soldiers all literary related the book banque. During the conflict, both the national army and the revolutionary united front ruf, a rebel group responsible for some of the worst atrocities during the conflict, abducted children from the villages they attacked and occupied.
Ishmael is 12 years old when his village first experiences the violence that has been plaguing sierra leone. A captivating description of the abhorrent use of children as weapons in adult wars. Children across the globe have been implicated in armed conflict as both victims and participants. Ishmael beah was a child soldier during the sierra leonean civil war.
As a teenager in warravaged sierra leone, ishmael beah was. A long way gone is an eye opening memoir of how and why young boys become soldiers and come to love violence. War and the crisis of youth in sierra leone by krijn peters. Taking children out of war is simple compared to the task of taking war out of children and, as this book brilliantly demonstrates, it is a task for which we are all responsible. A long way gone has been heralded as one of the most important war stories of our generation.
Exchild soldiers literary bestseller is factually flawed. While there, he is recruited to travel to the united states to speak at a united nations event about child soldiers. Children are chosen to be soldiers because they are easily manipulated. The book is set in sierra leone, where many african rebels were causing chaos at every town they passed by. He and a group of boys roamed from village to village looking for food and shelter, just trying to stay alive. The sierra leone civil war 19912002 was a civil war in sierra leone that began on 23 march 1991 when the revolutionary united front ruf, with support from the special forces of charles taylors national patriotic front of liberia npfl, intervened in sierra leone in an attempt to overthrow the joseph momoh government. The term child soldier does not only include those who carry a gun and fight. Drawing upon indepth interviews and focus groups with former child soldiers of sierra leones rebel revolutionary united front, myriam denov compassionately examines how child soldiers are initiated into the complex world of violence and armed conflict. Drawing on the book s definition of compromise and data collected during empirical research in 2011 and 2012, this chapter will analyse the social practice of compromise in sierra leones postconflict settlement by examining the levels of social acceptance and stigmatisation of male former child soldiers in sierra leone ten years after.
Ishmael beah, 26, went through that extraordinarily horrific struggle as a child in sierra leone. Children also served as messengers and porters, and young girls were. After sierra leones tenyear civil war ended in 2001, unicef and other agencies helped demobilize nearly 10,000 combatants under the age of 18. The book is a memoir about the children who are trapped in a cycle of brutality and abuse during the sierra leone civil war. Sierra leone rebels forcefully recruit child soldiers human.
Children face some of the gravest abuses in this war at the hands. Nov 30, 2017 i n 2009, around the time that i had just read sierra leonean author ishmael beahs first book a memoir titled a long way gone i watched a film, ezra, by nigerian filmmaker newton aduaka a. During his studies he also wrote a book on his experiences as a youth in sierra leone. Now, beahs debut novel, radiance of tomorrow, tells the story of a. Aug 16, 2016 in sum, the recruitment of child soldiers is more complex than it initially appears. Although the war has since ended many former child soldiers suffer from physical and mental. Understanding the recruitment of child soldiers in africa. We recognize february 12 as international day against the use of child soldiers to ensure a better, safer future for every child.
No one who reads this remarkable book about the making and unmaking of child soldiers in sierra leone will remain unchanged. Cambridge core comparative politics child soldiers by myriam denov. Virtually unnoticed in the catalogue of horrors emanating from sierra leones brutal civil war is the forcible conscription of children, some as young as 7 years old. The dates dont add up, say critics of acclaimed book by orphaned survivor of sierra leones war. After carrying out investigations in sierra leone, the australian newspaper alleges that beah was 15 and not when he was recruited into the army and that he therefore served only a few months as a child soldier and not two years as he has claimed in the book. During the conflict, both the national army and the revolutionary united front ruf, a rebel group responsible for some of the worst atrocities during the conflict, abducted children. A former rebel of the revolutionary united front ruf of sierra leone gibril massaquoi, has been arrested in tampere, finland over an allegation that he committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in liberia between 1999 and 2003. In 1991, the outbreak of a brutal civil war in sierra leone uprooted the lives of millions, including that of ishmael beah and his family. But they describe a world of atrocities committed against children and sometimes by children. For child soldiers in sierra leone, there is no easy way back to life.
Set against the backdrop of the civil war that took place in sierra leone from 1991 to 2001, blood diamond is. Jan 20, 2008 exchild soldiers literary bestseller is factually flawed the dates dont add up, say critics of acclaimed book by orphaned survivor of sierra leones war barbara mcmahon in sydney. Until radiance of tomorrow, i had not read any fulllength text that delved into life after. The rights group has documented abductions of children as recently as early may.
They feature in films like blood diamond and a new. Ten minutes later, the sun reappears and the red dust and green leaves shine more intensely than before. The book provides a broad overview on child soldiering as a global phenomenon, an introduction to the civil war in sierra leone, and an. Civil war crippled sierra leone between 1991 and 2002, forcing the. Former child soldiers in postconflict sierra leone myriam denov, 2010. Sierra leone rebels forcefully recruit child soldiers. More than 300,000 soldiers under the age of 18 are fighting in conflicts in 41 countries around the world.
Foday rolls his motorbike out from under the roof, starts the engine and gets back to work. Christian science monitor in place of a text that has every right to be a diatribe against sierra leone, globalization or even himself, beah has produced a book of such selfeffacing humanity that refugees, political fronts and even death squads resolve themselves back into the faces of mothers, fathers and siblings. Child soldiers in sierra leone refers to the roughly 10,00014,000 children who fought between 1991 and 2002 in the sierra leone civil war. In class, we have viewed two films representing the problems with child soldiers in sierra leone which include films titled blood diamond and ezra. For child soldiers, the crisis in sierra leone is far from over. Memoirs of a boy soldier on your kindle in under a minute. Each individual child has a different life story and upbringing, as well as individual reasons to either try to stay away from armed forces and groups or to join them if they have not already been forced to join the ranks. Dec 11, 2019 hence, to the rebels of sierra leone, children were the perfect weapon for war. After sierra leones tenyear civil war ended in 2001, unicef and other agencies helped demobilize nearly 10,000 combatants under.
Opportunities directed only to former child soldiers in a waraffected community can actually have the unintended consequences of fermenting resentment and stigma, as has been documented in northern uganda and sierra leone, she warns. Hence, to the rebels of sierra leone, children were the perfect weapon for war. Exchild soldiers literary bestseller is factually flawed the dates dont add up, say critics of acclaimed book by orphaned survivor of sierra leones war barbara mcmahon in sydney. A former child soldier imagines tomorrow in sierra leone ishmael beah was 12 when he was orphaned by sierra leones civil war and recruited as a child soldier. After a short time on the run with his friends, ishmael is. After being rescued by unicef at 16, he is rehabilitated and begins to live with his uncle tommy. Jun 03, 2007 to be a boy forced to bear arms in an adult conflict is to be a prisoner of war of a terrible kind.
Remaking child soldiers in sierra leone, examines the difficult reintegration of former child soldiers in sierra leone. Ishmael beah, now 26, lived with his family in sierra leone until 1991, when rebels attacked and violently destroyed his and neighboring villages marking the start of the countrys civil war. Mental health and life after war for child soldiers. Orphaned by the civil war in sierra leone, ishmael beah told his own. According to for child soldiers, every day is a living nightmare 90% of the child soldiers in liberia show posttraumatic stress disorder ptsd, as well as 65% showing depression postwar. One of the child soldiers reported to the t ruth and reconciliation commission. Mar 12, 2007 leonardo, diamonds and child soldiers part i. Not only have millions of children been forced to witness war and its atrocities. Sierra leone s child soldiers were recruited by private security companies to fight in iraq. Inside the war provides readers with an detailed overview of the 19912002 civil cluding descriptions of sierra leones culture and prewar history, a yearbyyear account of the civil war, and narratives from 30 people who describe their experiences as both civilians and fighters. In their villages, they are seen as murderers and often lynched or stoned to death in revenge for the lives they took during the war.
Brutalised, warravaged and druggedup, the child soldiers of sierra leone and sudan have become a shocking symbol of todays violent world. Jason cowley on african child soldiers books the guardian. Ishmael beah was born in 1980 in sierra leone, west africa. Researchers evaluated the mental health effects of wartime experiences on former child soldiers in sierra leone and uganda. His parents and two brothers were killed and he was forcibly recruited into the war at age. The issue of child soldiers has become an increasing global concern. The problem has been particularly serious in sierra leone where thousands of children have participated directly in armed conflict or have. Between 1992 and 1996 more than 4,000 children were brought into a protracted war in sierra leone and used as combatants by both rebel and governmental forces children were sometimes forced to commit brutal atrocities against civilians in sierra leone. Leonardo, diamonds and child soldiers part i the globalist.
Child soldiers by myriam denov cambridge university press. Rebels had burned many villages and killed everyone in them, including his family. Child soldier and author of a long way gone ishmael beah speaks with cbs news about his experiences in sierra leone and his hopes for the future of the country. Children associated with armed forces and armed groups caafag, commonly referred to as child soldiers, are both boys and girls who are part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group in any capacity, including, but not limited to. When beah is finally approached about the possibility of serving as a.
Transitioning excombatants towards community reconstruction after the war in sierra leone, unpublished report submitted to the national commission for disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration, government of sierra leone. Massaquois crimes, according to civitas maxima and its liberian sister organization, the global justice and research project. Drawing upon in depth interviews and focus groups with former child soldiers of sierra leone s rebel revolutionary united front, myriam denov compassionately examines how child soldiers are initiated into the complex world of violence and armed conflict. Global report 2008 states that a landmark in international justice was forged by the conviction in 2007 by the special court for sierra leone of four people on charges that included the recruitment and use of children during the civil war. Exchild soldiers literary bestseller is factually flawed world news. Ishmael beah defends his memoir and goes home to sierra leone. Both were about child soldiers and provided my first real understanding of what war does to everyday people. It goes on to laud sierra leone, timorleste, and liberia for establishing truth. Sierra leone is no place to be young the new york times.
A former child soldier imagines tomorrow in sierra leone. This book has been cited by the following publications. During sierra leones decadelong civil war, thousands of children, both boys and girls, participa. This book should become required reading for those interested in the study of child soldiers in civil wars. The narratives of the sierra leonean youth demonstrate that their life. Child soldiers global report 2008 coalition to stop the use of child soldiers most child soldiers are between the ages of and 18, though many groups include children aged 12 and under. Like thousands of other former child soldiers in sierra leone. As in all wars men did most of the fighting, but the factions in the sierra leone war also had child soldiers and, except for the civil defense forces, female soldiers. Jul 21, 2010 researchers evaluated the mental health effects of wartime experiences on former child soldiers in sierra leone and uganda. Apr 28, 2007 brutalised, war ravaged and druggedup, the child soldiers of sierra leone and sudan have become a shocking symbol of todays violent world. Feb 14, 1999 virtually unnoticed in the catalogue of horrors emanating from sierra leone s brutal civil war is the forcible conscription of children, some as young as 7 years old.
Beah was forced to fight for the government army against the rebels. Memoirs of a boy soldier 2007 is a memoir written by ishmael beah, an author from sierra leone. During sierra leones decadelong civil war, thousands of children, both boys and girls, participated directly in armed conflict or were recruited for labour or sexual exploitation in armed groups. Thomas lubanga to 14 years in prison for using child soldiers in war, after his landmark conviction in march, which set a. After reading this book you will realize that inaction is no longer an option, we. Tragically, unicef estimates that tens of thousands of boys and girls under the age of 18 are used in conflicts worldwide. Shooting became just like drinking a glass of water. Nearly half of the revolutionary united front ruf, and a quarter of the governmental armed forces consisted of children aged 814 years old. Ishmale beah was a young boy growing up in sierra leone in a loving family with his whole life in front of him and boom all gone in a heartbeat.
According to for child soldiers, every day is a living nightmare 90% of the child soldiers in liberia show posttraumatic stress disorder ptsd, as. During sierra leone s bloody civil war 19912002, thousands of children were involved in the revolutionary united front ruf the. In the 1990s, liberia was torn apart by a civil war in which child soldiers fought for the guerrilla leader charles taylor. Indie actor ryan gosling is reportedly set to direct his own script about child soldiers, perhaps inspired by war. Child soldiers sierra leones revolutionary united front comparative. Nowhere has this been more evident than in sierra leone during its 11year civil war. Sierra leones revolutionary united front myriam denov on. To be a boy forced to bear arms in an adult conflict is to be a prisoner of war of a terrible kind. Ishmael beahs a long way gone tells the story of himself, a young teen in the midst of political upheaval, where rebels everywhere are killing many of the innocent civilians of africa.