Beasts of No Nation and the Fate of the West African Child

Anyone faintly familiar with the current state—and history—of the world would understand the continued relevance of the subjects of violence and war. Yet, a peek beneath the surface of the affairs of humanity reveals not only a long and widespread bellicosity, but also a knack for the unconscionable in the conduct of armed conflicts. From the mass extermination of civilian captives whose only offense was to have belonged to a maligned race, to the much more recent killings and dehumanization of thousands in Rwanda, Sudan, Palestine and many parts of Europe, the story of mankind is pockmarked by a rash of atrocities committed in the name of warfare. Sometimes, the tool for the legitimization of cruelty has been an appeal to a well-meaning (read: vengeful) patriotism.

Among the countless monstrosities perpetrated in the context of wars, the recruitment of children as soldiers has been of a special kind of interest in universal and regional governance. With specific regard to West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Child Policy 2019–2030 contains a four-point statement of priority objectives. The third, focused on child protection, seeks to ensure that ‘children are not recruited as combatants in armed conflicts by the State and non-state actors.’ The policy continues the longstanding efforts of ECOWAS and cooperating supranational bodies, which have for decades led the fight against the untoward spectacle of child soldiers in the region and beyond. Through its essential participation in initiatives such as the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programmes and the operation of its ceasefire monitoring group (ECOMOG), ECOWAS has, historically, made key strides in this direction—in Liberia, in Sierra Leone and a host of other countries in the region.