As per the statute of the United Nations convention on the rights of the child, every child is entitled to safe childhood. It is the desire of every child to enjoy every moment of his/her childhood thus, have good food nutrition, quality education, and perhaps engage in other bustling activities. However, statistics indicate that over a hundred thousand (100,000) children within the age group of 8-13, have missed out of this fantasy (UNICEF). Indeed many have been deprived of the basic need we take for granted. History recounts victims of World War 2 most of which young people of all ages were subjected to the same danger as adults. Jewish children along with their mothers were the first to be selected for gas chamber upon their arrival in death camps of Poland. Surprisingly even more horrendous and hideous practices are meted to children of this age. In the continent of Africa for example, the region is plagued with a number of conflicts which have left thousands of children displaced. Most often, these conflicts are characterized by civil strife and hence resulted in extreme poverty, mass starvation and to a large extent fragmented the normal fabric of society. In most cases of these instances, children are often susceptible to join a kind of regular or irregular armed group in any capacity. In Liberia rebel leader: Charles Taylor made use of boy soldiers to the extent of given them their own regiment ‘The small boys unit.’ Their survival depended upon their ability to steal the supplies they needed on a daily basis. Uganda, Mozambique, Mali, and Angola are just a few of African states that recruit children in the military. In Uganda, the Lord’s Resistance Army (L.R.A), a rebel group led by Joseph Kony targets innocent civilians including kidnapping and forcing them to fight in his rebel force. Under the guise of faith, the L.R.A in its failed mission to rule Uganda based on the Ten Commandments began abducting thousands of children to swell its ranks turning them into killers and unleashing them on villages. These child rebels launch vicious attacks killing the weak and the old with machetes, swords, guns and hacking people’s ears, lips and noses off to serve as a warning. Girls who obdurately resist were violently indoctrinated and often used as porters, cooks, or sex slaves. Different methods are used to recruit and keep these minors in the military. In Maputo, Mozambique, rebel movements known as Renamo recruited boys whose average age was eleven. The group used terror to recruit boys; including, hanging them upside down from trees. Other methods include use of drugs. Military leaders use drugs to keep their troops excited for battle. During the civil war in Liberia, children were given valium (A tranquilizer used to relieve anxiety and tension) before they went into combat. For some becoming a soldier is a matter of survival. One gets a uniform, shoe, regular meals and a gun.-a symbol of power. In Uganda, the U.N.D.P reports has it that over hundreds of war orphans are recruited in the regular army is been fed and housed. For these kids killing is fun as they admit enjoying the crime. Unfortunately, these protégé do not feel contrite of their actions. They seem to be brutal fighters since most of them have not developed any good sense of judgment. They go the full length of killing or raping their family members making it impossible for them to return home. Under the international law, the participation of children under age 18 in armed conflict is generally prohibited. And the recruitment and use of children under 15 is a war crime. Yet worldwide, hundreds of thousands of children are recruited into government armed forces, paramilitaries, civil militia and a variety of other armed group. Most at times, these minors are abducted at school, with others on the streets or at home. Other are also voluntarily enlisted. Those who try escaping are tortured and in some instance killed. However, for the fortunate ones, who happened to have escaped from the clutches of their “paymasters”, may have a sense of relief but not without some form psychological trauma. Re-integrating into their societies becomes a major hurdle as most of these infants are left homeless and are forced to live in camps, and other cramped facilities with poor sanitation. Others also face the risk of experiencing hallucination. Some may also engage in brick making as a means of survival. Another colossal effect is emboldened by the European N.G.O, Africa Child Policy. They argue, more than 41,000 children are been adopted annually with prospective parents viewing adoption as a vast, profit-driven industry. These orphans are often trafficked or sold for prices between $10,000-$30,000.This no doubt makes Africa the frontier of child adoption. ADJEI FRANK, P.O BOX, 12793, ACCRA-NORTH. E-mail: adjeiako99@yahoo.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS E: info@Warchild.org.uk. The untold civil war. James, Robertson. Boy soldier, Maria Goodavage. BBC World News.

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