Liberia's Child Soldiers: Prospects and Problems

dc.creator	Amadu Sesay
dc.creator	Olabisi Aina
dc.creator	Charles Ukeje
dc.creator	Adetanwa Odebiyi
dc.date	2012-02-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-07-20T20:08:47Z
dc.date.available	2015-07-20T20:08:47Z
dc.identifier	10.5787/30-1-162
dc.identifier	2224-0020
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/97e0c775713b450e9c7776de027e8593
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/8476
dc.identifier.uri	https://doaj.org/article/97e0c775713b450e9c7776de027e8593
dc.description	<p><em> </em></p> <p>The end of the cold war gave rise to expectations that Africa would benefit from the peace dividend. The euphoria was however short lived. In Liberia, a bloody civil war broke out in 1989 in which thousands of children were used as child soldiers. Surprisingly, not much is known about how they are settling back into civil society after the end of hostilities. This study tries to fill that gap by focusing on the role of social support networks in their rehabilitation. It was found that while civil society is supportive of their rehabilitation, government policies do not target child soldiers. Two NGOs, Don Bosco Homes and Children Assistance Programme, are actively involved in their rehabilitation, and have made tremendous progress in that regard. They face numerous problems: lack of space and funds, inadequate employment opportunities for rehabilitated child soldiers, and non-availability of electricity and water supply. To facilitate the rehabilitation process, there is urgent need to improve the security situation in Liberia to attract domestic and foreign investment and create jobs. It is also important for Charles Taylor to see himself as president of Liberia, and not just the National Patriotic Front, NPLF. Government should respect the fundament rights of citizens, as perceptions of Charles Taylor as a renegade has made the country unattractive to donors, thereby frustrating its post war reconstruction programmes. The international community must not abandon Liberia, but should engage it conditionally, to promote good governance and avoid another bloody contest for power in that country.</p>
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Military Science (Military Academy)
dc.relation	http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/162
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/2224-0020
dc.source	Scientia Militaria : South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 30, Iss 1 (2012)
dc.subject	post war reconstruction programmes
dc.subject	National Patriotic Front, NPLF
dc.subject	Charles Taylor
dc.subject	Liberia
dc.subject	bloody civil war
dc.subject	child soldiers
dc.subject	rehabilitated child soldiers
dc.subject	Don Bosco Homes and Children Assistance Programme
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.subject	DOAJ:Military Science
dc.subject	DOAJ:Technology and Engineering
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.subject	DOAJ:Military Science
dc.subject	DOAJ:Technology and Engineering
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.subject	Military Science
dc.subject	U
dc.title	Liberia's Child Soldiers: Prospects and Problems
dc.type	Article