Child Soldiers Global Report 2008 - Cape Verde
| Publisher | Child Soldiers International |
| Publication Date | 20 May 2008 |
| Cite as | Child Soldiers International, Child Soldiers Global Report 2008 - Cape Verde, 20 May 2008, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/486cb0f1c.html [accessed 1 November 2019] |
| 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. |
Population: 507,000 (238,000 under 18)
Government Armed Forces: 1,200
Compulsary Recruitment Age: 18
Voluntary Recruitment Age: 17
Voting Age: 18
Optional Protocol: acceded 10 May 2002
Other Treaties: GC AP I, GC AP II, CRC, ILO 182, ACRWC
17-year-olds could volunteer for military service with parental consent. No information was available on the presence of under-18s in the armed forces.
Government:
National recruitment legislation and practice
Under the 1992 constitution, all individuals "shall have the duty to contribute to the defence of the nation" (Article 83). The constitution also stated that "Military service shall be compulsory" and that "Conscientious objectors and those who are unfit for military service shall perform civic service, as provided by law" (Article 271).
Military service, reportedly for two years, was compulsory for all men aged between 18 and 35.1 Volunteers could enlist at the age of 17, with parental consent.2
In its declaration on accession to the Optional Protocol in 2002, Cape Verde stated that "the minimum age for special voluntary recruitment into the Cape Verdean armed forces is 17 years in accordance with article 31 of Legislative Decree No. 6/93 of 24 May 1993", and that "Special recruitment shall apply to citizens, who of their own freely expressed will, decide to enter military service subject to meeting the following requirements: (a) They must have attained the minimum age of 17 years; (b) They must have the consent of their parents or legal guardians; (c) They must be mentally and physically fit for military service."3
1 B. Horeman and M. Stolwijk, Refusing to Bear Arms: A World Survey of Conscription and Conscientious Objection to Military Service, War Resisters International, London, 1998, www.wri-irg.org.
2 Initial report by Cape Verde to UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, UN Doc. CRC/C/11/Add.23, 9 January 2001; summary record of the 746th meeting: Cape Verde, UN Doc. CRC/C/SR.746, 7 November 2000.
3 Declaration by Cape Verde on acceding to the Optional Protocol, 10 May 2002, www2.ohchr.org.
