Armed Groups

Research for the Child Soldiers International's Global Report 2008 found that, while the recruitment and use of children in government armed forces had declined, tens of thousands continued to be involved in a variety of armed political groups. While these included government-backed paramilitary groups, militias, and self-defence units in many conflict zones, the majority were involved in armed political groups opposed to central governments, including groups espousing separatist and other political ideologies, groups composed of ethnic, religious and other minorities and a smaller number involved in clan-based or factional groups fighting governments and each other to defend territory and resources. Overall, the majority of under-18s involved in armed conflict were associated with armed groups opposed to government forces.

Child Soldiers International reference documents on armed groups

Background document: approaching armed groups

This document describes some of the different approaches used by the UN, governments, NGOs and others dealing with armed groups for a range of purposes - to gain access for humanitarian aid delivery, to promote respect for humanitarian and human rights norms and in the context of peace negotiations. It also looks more specifically at how some international agencies and NGOs use these and other methods to influence armed groups on the issue of child recruitment and use, as well as on demobilization and reintegration issues in relation to children.

Case studies on specific armed groups

Each case study examines the context in which the group emerged, their military and political objectives, the rationale for their use of child soldiers as well as the impact of any significant initiatives to end their use of children.

• Frente Faraundo Martí de Liberación Nacional and the Armed forces of El Salvador (FMLN and FAES respectively, El Salvador)
• Hamas, Occupied Palestinian Territories
  
• The South Lebanese Army (SLA, Lebanon)
• Conseil national pour la defense de la démocratie/ Forces pour la defense de la démocratie - Nkurunziza (CNDD - FDD, Burundi)
• Revolutionary United Front (RUF, Sierra Leone)
• Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, Sri Lanka)

International Forum on armed groups and the involvement of children in armed conflict (Switzerland, July 2006)

The international Forum on armed groups and the involvement of children in armed conflict, which took place in Céligny, Switzerland, 4-7 July 2006, was the starting point for the Child Soldiers International's three-year project on this issue. Child Soldiers International brought together selected individuals from a variety of backgrounds to share their insights on how to influence armed groups and to generate ideas on how to address the involvement of children in these groups. Participants included representatives from international NGOs and local NGOs from countries in armed conflict, staff of UN and inter-governmental agencies, community and religious leaders, government representatives, academics and experts from, and on, particular armed groups.

The forum's objectives were:

• To discuss different approaches used to influence the behaviour and decision-making of armed groups for a variety of purposes.
• To debate which approaches have been effective and why, how they complement or diverge from each other and ways to resolve tensions.
• To discuss the relevance of these approaches to the situation of children in armed groups and find proposals for collaborative action to end their involvement.

The forum proposed a series of projects aimed to influence armed groups some of which will be carried out by the Child Soldiers International.

A report on the forum is available in English and French.

In November 2005, the Southeast Asia Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers held a regional workshop, in the Philippines, on Enhancing Civil Society's Engagement with Non-State Armed Groups in Child Soldiers Advocacy. This workshop provided useful background material for Child Soldiers International's International forum.

Bibliography on approaching armed groups

This bibliography has been developed as part of the Child Soldiers International's project on armed groups and the involvement of children in armed conflict.

The materials included in the bibliography provide information on some of the different approaches used by the UN, governments, NGOs and others dealing with armed groups for a range of purposes - gaining access for delivery of humanitarian aid, to promote respect for international norms, and in the context of peace negotiations.