Chad: Forcible recruitment of children and youths by military forces in 2001
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 7 April 2003 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TCD40623.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Chad: Forcible recruitment of children and youths by military forces in 2001, 7 April 2003, TCD40623.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4e240.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| 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. |
Information on the forcible recruitment of children and youths by Chadian military forces in 2001 is limited among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
According to one source of information, Chad is among the countries, which used children as soldiers in 2001 (Fraternet 2001). Referring to Chad, Country Reports 2002 that "although the practice was prohibited by law, UNICEF estimated that there were approximately 600 child soldiers in the country" (31 Mar. 2003, Sec. 5). The report added that "there were credible reports that the military conscripted teenage Zaghawa to fight in the Tibesti region of the country during the year" (Country Reports 2002 31 Mar. 2003, Sec. 1d).
An United Kingdom extended bulletin noted that while the Chadian Government claims it does not currently recruit under-18s into the military, "the legality of enlisting minors who have attained the consent of a guardian undermines this claim" (July 2002). The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers also noted that
there are indications of under-18s in government armed forces as Chad has no effective restriction on the military recruitment of volunteers who obtain the consent of a guardian. Both government and various opposition forces have recruited children for use in ongoing internal armed conflict (12 June 2001).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2002. 31 March 2003. United States Department of State. Washington, DC. The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. 12 June 2001. "Chad: Child Soldiere" Global Report 2001. Fraternet.com. 2001. "Droits des enfants : les enfants soldats." United Kingdom (UK). July 2002. Immigration & Nationality Directorate (IND), Home Office. "Chad: Extended Bulletin: Chad." Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential 2001
Africa Research Bulletin 2001
IRB Databases
Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent 2001
Lettre Hebdomadaire de la FIDH
LEXIS/NEXIS
Mondes rebelles 2001.
Resource Centre country file. Chad
West Africa 2001
Websites, including:
Africa Time
Allafrica.com
Amnesty International
European Country of Origin Information Network (ecoi.net)
Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l'home (FIDH)
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Libération [Paris]
Le Monde [Paris]
ReliefWeb
UNHCR
