Abstract

Mia Bloom This essay defines a child soldier as anyone under 18 years of age who is part of any regular or irregular armed force. This definition includes youth who are forcibly recruited, as well as those who join voluntarily. (The idea of voluntary enrolment, however, must be understood in the specific context of armed conflict, as discussed below.) All child participants, regardless of function (for example, cooks, porters, messengers, ‘bush wives’ or other support roles), are included in the definition. Customary international humanitarian law clearly forbids the utilisation of child soldiers, stating that ‘children must not be recruited into armed forces or armed groups’ and that ‘children must not be allowed to take part in hostilities’ in either international armed conflicts or civil wars. Despite the legal prohibition, the use of child soldiers in armed conflict has risen over the past 20 years. The phenomenon of child soldiers in Africa has been well documented and the exploitation of children by such armed groups as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has garnered international condemnation. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, is perhaps the most notorious of the armed groups, having trained hundreds if not