Child Soldiers Global Report 2004 - Madagascar
| Publisher | Child Soldiers International |
| Publication Date | 2004 |
| Cite as | Child Soldiers International, Child Soldiers Global Report 2004 - Madagascar, 2004, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/49880646c.html [accessed 18 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Republic of Madagascar
Covers the period from April 2001 to March 2004.
Population: 16.9 million (8.6 million under 18)
Government armed forces: up to 13,500
Compulsory recruitment age: unknown
Voluntary recruitment age: unknown
Voting age: unknown
Optional Protocol: signed 7 September 2000
Other treaties ratified (see glossary): CRC, GC AP I and II, ILO 138, ILO 182
Recruitment ages were unknown and it was not known whether there were under-18s in the armed forces.
Context
In January 2002 mass protests were organized against incumbent President Didier Ratsiraka, who was accused of rigging the December 2001 presidential polls in an attempt to prolong his 23year rule. Almost 60 people were killed between January and May 2002 in clashes between two of the country's largest ethnic groups, and over 65,000 people lost their jobs in the subsequent economic crisis.1
Government
National recruitment legislation and practice
The constitution provides for conscription, stating that "National service shall be an honourable duty" (Article 18). The legal basis for conscription is believed to be Order No. 78-003 on National Service of 6 March 1978, and it is possible to perform non-military service (Article 4). However, no official information was available on the requirements for military service, which is for 18 months, or on the minimum age of recruitment.2
In its initial report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Madagascar stated that "no legal provision on national service or a state of national necessity requires children to take a direct part in hostilities. Malagasy law contains no provision for children under 18 years of age to be enlisted for service in a situation of armed conflict".3 Further information on current recruitment practice was not available.
The government informed the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child that ratification of the Optional Protocol was in progress as of August
Child recruitment and deployment
There were no reports of child soldiers in the armed forces, although the lack of information on the minimum recruitment age and low birth registration rates made child recruitment a possibility. The government announced in August 2003 the existence of a national program to reinstate registration of births.5
1 IRIN, "Madagascar: IRIN interview with Africa analyst Stephen Ellis", 21 May 2002, http://www.irinnews.org.
2 According to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 20 years is the minimum age for conscription and voluntary recruitment, http://www.cia.gov/publications/factbook.
3 Initial report of Madagascar to UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, UN Doc. CRC/C/8/Add.5. 13 September 1993, http://www.ohchr.org.
4 Written replies by Madagascar, received 28 August 2003, to UN Committee on the Rights of the Child relating to consideration of its second periodic report, UN Doc. CRC/C/70/Add.18.
5 Written replies by Madagascar to UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, op. cit.
