Prosecution of Sierra Leone's Child Soldiers: What Message is the UN Trying to Send?

Abstract

In August 2000, the United Nations approved the creation of a Special Court for Sierra Leone to prosecute those who committed war crimes during the decade-long civil war. This paper addresses and criticizes the provision in the draft statute of this Special Court that sanctions the prosecution of child soldiers, some as young as 15. The paper offers recommenda­tions to the international community for dealing with this contentious and salient issue.