TABLE OF CONTENT
DECLARATION ......•.......••............•..•.......•..•...........••.............••...........•..•...........•.............•.............•.•................. i
DEDICATION ..............................•.................................................................................................•.................. ii
APPROVAL ................................................................................................................................................ iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ......................................................................................................................... iv
LIST OF STATUTES AND INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS ..................................................... v
The Constitution of Republic of Uganda, 1995 as amended ..................................................... v
The Uganda People Defence Forces Act 2005 .............................................................................. v
The Amnesty Act Cap 294 .................................................................................................................... v
The Children's Act (2000), Cap 120 ................................................................................................... v
TABLE OF CONTENT .....•.........................................................................................................•...•..•............... vi
LIST OF ABBREVlATIONS ................................................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER ONE ...•........................•...........••............•...........•...•.............•...........•...........••............•.................... 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION .............•...............•.........................•.............•...............•......................•..•.................. 1
1.1 Background to the study ..•.........................•...........••...............•...•...................••................................. 1
1.2 Research questions ••.......•..........................................................•.........•.........................•.................... 2
1 3 Significance of the study •......•........•.............•............•.............•............•...........•..••.........•.................... 3
1.4 Literature review ...•............•.......................•..•...................................................•............••..•............... 3
1.5 The statement of the problem ..••.............•................•.........•..•.......•..•..............•......•...•.....................• 5
1.6 objectives of the study .....................•............••..........................•............................•..........•................ 7
1.7 Methodology ...............................•...................................................................•..........•....................•.. 7
1.6.1 Research Design ....•.............•.......................................................•...........•.................................... 7
1.7.2 Data Collection Instruments ............................................•..............•............................................ 8
1.8 Overview of chapters ......................•..............•............•.............•.....................................•..•................ 8
CHAPTER TWO ...•...........•....................••..............•..........................................•.......•...•...............................•.. 9
THE LEGAL PROTECTION OF CHILD SOLDIERS IN UGANDA ...................•.........••.........................•..•...•.......... 9
2.11ntroduction ............................................................................•........................................................... 9
2.2 The 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda as Amended ...................................................... 10
2.3 The Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces Act, 2005 .......................•.............••.........................•............. 11
2.4 The Amnesty Act cap 294 ...•..........................•............................•..........................•..........•......•........ 12
2.5 Children's Act Cap 59 ..............................................................•......................................................... 13
2.6 The four Geneva Conventions and the two Additional Protocols ................................................•... 13
vi
2. 7 Convention on the Rights of the Child ...•..............•.........................................•...........•..................... 15
2.8 African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child ....•.............•........................................•..•.... 18
2.9 The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) .......•...........................................•........ 19
2.10 ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention 182 .....................................•.......•...............•....•...... 21
2.11 The Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict ....••............................•. 23
2.12 Conclusion •......................••........•..•...........................•............•..••...........•..........•............•................ 26
CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................................................................. 27
CHILD SOLDIERS IN UGANDA: IN SEARCH OF ADEQUATE LEGAL PROTECTION ..... 27
3.11ntroduction .......••...........•.......••..•...............................................................................•.................•... 27
3.2 National Program me to Eliminate Child Labour ..............................•.............•................................. 31
3.2.1 National child Labour Policy ......................•.............•......................................•.......................... 32
3.3 International humanitarian law ...............•................................................................................•....... 32
3.4 International human rights law .......•........................................................•..........•.............•.•....•....... 34
3 .4 1 General ........................................................•...........................•..............................................•. 34
3.4.2 The "straight 18" position: Reasons for resilience ...............•.........................................•...•...... 35
3.4.3 The nature of state obligation ...................•......................................•...............................•........ 38
3.4.4 Direct and indirect participation in hostilities .........•...........•............•..............•............•............ 39
3.4.5 Voluntary recruitment ................................•..........................•............•..........................•........... 41
3.4.6 Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) .................•.......................................... 47
3.4.7 Girl soldiers ...........•..........•..................................................................................•...................... 49
3.4.9 Enforcement ....•...........•...........................•........................................•........................•..••........... 52
3.5 International criminal law .•..•.........•..................•..........•...............•.............•........................•............. 58
3.6 Conclusion ......................................................••..............••.....................................................•.......... 61
CHAPTER FOUR ...............................•........................................................•........•.............................•...•....... 63
4.1 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF WAR ON CHILD SOLDIERS .................••...........•............................ 63
CHAPTER FIVE ...........•..........••.......................•..............................................•.....................•..............••........ 70
5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION •............•...................................................•............. 70
5.1 HOW THE PROBLEM OF CHILD SOLDIERS CAN BE ADDRESSED IN UGANDA (RECOMMENDATIONS)
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5.2 Conclusion .....••..•.........•..........••.........................••..........•...••..............•..........•..........•..................•..... 74
BIBLIOGRAPHY .•..........•.•...........•................................................................................................................• 77
Books .•...................................•........•................•.........•..........................................•..............•.................. 77
