Children Soldiers: A Rationalist Perspective

Rational Warriors : Child Soldiers in The Democratic Republic of Congo Sierra Leone and Uganda

H . Scott Hannibal

Final Thesis

July 21 , 2007

Table of Contents

TOC \o "1-2 " \h \z \u HYPERLINK \l "_Toc6 " 1 Introduction PAGEREF _Toc6 \h 2

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc7 " 2 What 's to be Done ? PAGEREF _Toc7 \h 4

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc8 " 2 .1 Children as Soldiers : A Background PAGEREF _Toc8 \h 4

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc9 " 2 .2 Current Literature on Child Soldiers PAGEREF _Toc9 \h 10

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc0 " 2 .3

The Rationalist Explanation PAGEREF _Toc0 \h 15

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc1 " 3 Methodology PAGEREF _Toc1 \h 16

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc2 " 3 .1 Research Aims Using the Rationalist Model PAGEREF _Toc2 \h 16

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc3 " 3 .2 Dependent Variable PAGEREF _Toc3 \h 19

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc4 " 3 .3 Independent variables PAGEREF _Toc4 \h 20

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc5 " 3 .4 Case Selection PAGEREF _Toc5 \h 30

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc6 " 4 The Democratic Republic of Congo PAGEREF _Toc6 \h 36

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc7 " 4 .1 History PAGEREF _Toc7 \h 36

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc8 " 4 .2 Child Soldiers in the DRC : A Rational Choice PAGEREF _Toc8 \h 39

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc9 " 5 Sierra Leone PAGEREF _Toc9 \h 45

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc0 " 5 .1 History PAGEREF _Toc0 \h 45

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc1 " 5 .2 Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone : A Rational Choice PAGEREF _Toc1 \h 47

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc2 " 6 Uganda PAGEREF _Toc2 \h 52 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc3 " 6 .1 History PAGEREF _Toc3 \h 52

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc4 " 6 .2 The Rationalization of Child Soldiers in Uganda PAGEREF _Toc4 \h 54

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc5 " 7 Case Study Comparative Analysis PAGEREF _Toc5 \h 59

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc6 " 7 .1 Socio-Economic Variables PAGEREF _Toc6 \h 63

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc7 " 7 .2 Displaced People Variables PAGEREF _Toc7 \h 68

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc8 " 7 .3 Government Opposition PAGEREF _Toc8 \h 70

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc9 " 7 .4 A Rationalized Choice PAGEREF _Toc9 \h 73

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc0 " 8 Conclusion and Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc0 \h 74

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc1 " 9 References PAGEREF _Toc1 \h 77 My smiling child

Named for a noble ancestor

Great hunter or warrior

You will be one day

Which will give your papa pride

But always I will remember you thus

African Lullaby

Introduction

Abdul Rahman was given his first gun before his ninth birthday . The difference between his gun and that of any American boy is that his gun was real , and instead of it being handed to him in shiny wrapping it was forced on him by the threat of a hand amputation . Guns like that of Abdul Rahman 's are being forced on children all over the world by armed groups , both governmental and non-governmental , with the design that children will help them fight for their cause , a cause most of their recruits often cannot fully comprehend . In a time replete with countries torn apart by internal conflict , the transition from child to warrior is happening at a younger and younger age , and we are left dumfounded...