child soldiers

BAMAKO

Little Hope for the Children Abducted in Mali’s War

By Issa Sikiti da Silva
One of Amina Diallo’s sons, 14-year-old Salif, has been missing since August last year. She thinks Islamists kidnapped him while he was on his way to the market in their hometown of Gao, in northern Mali, and recruited him as a child soldier.
This image is taken from a video secretly recorded when 16-year-old captive Omar Khadr was interrogated by Canadian officials in Guantanamo. Credit: Public domain

Coming of Age in a Guantanamo Jumpsuit

By Fawzia Sheikh
Plenty of monikers have been attached to Omar Khadr, one of the most famous Guantanamo Bay detainees - child soldier, terrorist, war criminal, Al-Qaeda family member, security threat.

Q&A: Rescuing Child Soldiers in CAR

By Kristin Palitza
The protection of children remains critical in the Central African Republic, where parents willingly give their children to armed groups in exchange for protection and services.
Grace Akallo. Credit: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Former Girl Soldiers Trade One Nightmare for Another

By Isabelle de Grave
"When I was still at school I was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army, along with 139 other girls," says Grace Akallo. "I spent seven months in captivity, but I survived, I escaped and I went back home."