Child Soldiers in West Africa on Security in Europe Article - 1

Child Soldiers in West Africa on Security in Europe - Article Example In West Africa, human security has become a serious issue. The security maintenance has been spoiled in past few years, the reason might be any external or internal. (Diallo and Possà ©mà ©-Rageau, pg. 8) An estimated value of the world child labor report shows that 246 million children between the ages of 5-17 are under child labor category. The highest number of working children is found in Asia, then Africa and then in US, Middle East, and other countries. Although the greatest number of working children exists in Asia, Africa has greatest child labor ratio according to its population. (Finken, pg. 4) The aim of this paper is not to focus on the child labor issue but specifically child labor in form of soldiers’ issue. Throughout the world, about 87 countries have such a setup in which children are used as soldiers. A number of children are under training and many have been passed all the training and actively participating in wars, combats and certain other actions. According to the child soldier report 1379 report; child soldiers are defined as: â€Å"†¦any person under 18 years of age who is a member of or attached to the armed forces or an armed group, whether or not there is an armed conflict. Child soldiers may perform tasks ranging from direct participation in combat; military activities such as scouting, spying, sabotage, acting as decoys, couriers or guards; training, drill and other preparations; support functions such as pottering and domestic tasks; sexual slavery and Forced labor.† â€Å"Not surprisingly, the laws of war, the rules that govern how conflict is waged, and even human rights law, do not go far enough, and children, women and the family must bear the cost, precisely because they are together essential pillars in society. War today just simply does not match the traditional conception of two opposing armies; or even of an internal conflict pitting an armed opposition force against the established government, in which each side generally abides by the â€Å"rules of the game†, respecting the basic inviolability of civilian non-combatants and the special protection due to the young.’