Child Soldiers

Child Soldiers' Testimonials

Interview 1

Hello, welcome to the program Daily News. Today we're going to talk about experiencies of child soldiers. Let's start with Susan's Experience.

“Hello everybody. I'm glad to be here with you this morning. I want you to pay attention to my story... One boy tried to escape, but he was caught. They made him eat a mouthful of red pepper, and five people were beating him. His hands were tied, and then they made us, the other new captives, kill him with a stick. I felt sick. I knew this boy from before. We were from the same village. I refused to kill him, and they told me they would shoot me. They pointed a gun at me, so I had to do it. The boy was asking me, "Why are you doing this?" I said I had no choice. After we killed him, they made us smear his blood on our arms. I felt dizzy. There was another dead body nearby, and I could smell the body. I felt so sick. They said we had to do this so we would not fear death, and so we would not try to escape.”

Interview 2

First Testimony

When Ishmael was 14, he was recruited into the Sierra Leone Army. He remained a soldier for almost three years. In his testimony he described his first experience at the front line. He is now studying in the U.S

"When we got there we were in an ambush, the rebels were attacking where we were in the bush. I did not shoot my gun at first, but when you looked around and saw your schoolmates, some younger than you, crying while they were dying with their blood spilling all over you, there was no option but to start pulling the trigger. The sight stays with you. I was just pulling the trigger. I lost my parents during the war, they told us to join the army to avenge our parents.The first time I went into battle I was afraid. But after two or three days they forced us to start using cocaine, and then I lost my fear. When I was taking drugs, I never felt bad on the front. Human blood was the first thing I would have every morning. It was my coffee in the morning…every morning."

Second Testimony

"Three army sergeants asked me to join the army. I said no and came back home that evening, but an army recuitment unit arrived at my village. They beat all the people there, old and young, they killed them all, nearly 10 people... like dogs they killed them... I didn't kill anyone, but I saw them killing... the children who were with them killed too... with weapons... they made us drink the blood of people, we took blood from the dead into a bowl and they made us drink... then when they killed the people they made us eat their liver, their heart, which they took out and sliced and fried.... And they made us little ones eat."

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  AFTER THE LISTENING... THINKING QUESTIONS
• What is a child soldier?
  In what types of activities do child soldiers participate?
  Where, why, when and how are child soldiers involved in combat?
• What is the impact of warfare on child soldiers? 
  What actions have been taken by the world community to eliminate the use of child soldiers?