Warlord of the Flies: Child Soldiers and Non-State Actors in New Wars

Authors : İlke Taylan Yurdakul, Mustafa Nail Alkan

Pages : 85-101

View : 74 | Download : 28

Publication Date : 2024-05-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Non-state actors are overlooked by state centric paradigms. These actors deepen and perpetuate the problems faced by vulnerable groups in weak states. Many children are forced to join warlords because of push factors created by weak states’ extractive political and economic institutions. Developments in law made the crime of child recruitment a full-fledged war crime. NGOs play an important role in establishing ethical frameworks that characterize children’s participation in armed conflicts as unacceptable, yet this article claims that without finding a solution to the structural problems of weak states, it is an impossible task to keep war away from children.
Keywords : Çocuk Askerler, Savaş Ağaları, Devlet Dışı Aktörler, Norm Girişimcileri, Yeni Savaşlar