Government use of Child Soldiers

The Government force known as the Kamajor also use child soldiers but they are not forced to join in the same way as the RUF. The government does not use drugs on their child soldiers, instead they bribe them with food and shelter which is a hard thing for a child to come across on their own. Most of the child soldiers have been split up from their parents so their is no one taking care of them and they need the Kamajor to support them. According to some estimates, 8000 children were separated from their families or orphaned by the civil unrest (Fofana). To the Kamajor it is a good deal because children are way more unpredictable which they believe makes them better fighters and the children are way cheaper and require less food then an adult (BBC).

The Kamajors also tell the child soldiers that they will be protected by the "juju", which is said to be magic that will stop bullets (BBC).

Child Soldier holding a gun

(photo from HRW2)