ABSTRACT
In recent years, the nature of armed conflict has changed dramatically. Since the end of the Cold War, conflicts around the world have become increasingly internal and are rarely fought on well-defined battlefields. The combatants themselves are often difficult to distinguish from those on the sidelines. In particular, the widespread participation of child soldiers in such conflicts transcends the traditional combatant versus non-combatant distinction and the narrow conceptualization of child soldiers that dominates the literature. The differential patterns of recruitment of the young, their experience of camp life, and the varying activities of the children makes distinguishing between combatants and non-combatants nearly impossible. While it is often assumed that children are victims, and only become soldiers if they are forcibly abducted, have no other economic opportunities, or are ideologically committed to the cause, the realities of war blur the boundaries between choice and coercion for children. The total effect of civil war on societies means the closing of schools, massive relocations, and lack of economic opportunities. Children may have no other choice then to affiliate with one of the armies. In order to facilitate an understanding of the role of children in recent civil wars, this essay will explore their participation in El Salvador’s civil war (1980–1992), and in Mozambique’s civil war (1977–1992). Commentators have noted the existence of child soldiers in both wars, but, thus far, they have missed the all-consuming nature of war for the children, and their centrality in the struggles.
