10 things to KNOW
about Ishmael Beah, Sierra Leone, and Child Soldiers
Ishmael Baeh
- He was born in Sierra Leone in 1980
- Ishmael Baeh wants revenge, because he was family was killed.
- Ishmael Baeh was a witness to the Mock Trial of Charles Taylor vs. Former Nigerian President
SIerra Leone
- There was lots of war in Sierra Leone.
- "Since the mid-1980s, UNICEF and its partners have advocated for, and secured the release of, children from armed forces in conflict-affected countries including Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mozambique, Nepal, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Uganda" (http://www.unicef.org/protection/57929_58007.html, Child recruitment by armed forces or armed groups, March 22,2011)
Child Soldiers
• Most of these children are FORCED to be a child soldier
• The child soldiers go through tough battles, all physically, mentally, and emotionally within their own selves.
• “Today, child soldiers are fighting in at least 14 countries” (www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/12/child-soldiers-worldwide, Child Soldiers Worldwide, March 12, 2012)
• To me, Girls are considered as soldiers because they are captured and forced into rebel groups to have a sex and marriage.
• “children associated with armed forces or armed groups are exposed to tremendous violence – often forced both to witness and commit violence, while themselves being abused, exploited, injured or even killed as a result” (www.unicef.org/protection/57929_58007.html, Child recruitment by armed forces or armed groups, March 22,2011)