Witness to Truth - Volume Three B (Chapter 4: Children and the Armed Conflict in Sierra Leone)

Children and the Armed Conflict in Sierra Leone

This chapter will examine the traditional place of children in Sierra Leone and explore their status before and since the war in all the major spheres that affect them, such as education and health, as well as economic, legal and socio-cultural issues. A brief overview of the national and international human rights instruments impacting on and protecting children's rights is included. More importantly, the chapter will also attempt to convey the impact of the armed conflict on children, as well as their diverse experiences within the various armed groups, in the terms that children testified about them to the TRC. The status of children since the conflict will also be described, together with interventionary measures taken by both state and non-state actors in attempting to respond to their needs. The chapter will also highlight the Commission's main findings and recommendations on children.