Les enfants combattants dans les guerres civiles et les programmes de réinsertion post-conflits au Tchad (1965-2015)

Abstract

This work titled “Child Soldiers in Civil Wars and Post-Conflict Reconstruction Programmes in Chad (1965-2015)”, aims to examine the measures put in place in Chad through DDR programmes in order to encourage the end of conflicts and ensure the effective reconstruction of demobilised child soldiers. This study is based on an exploitation of primary and secondary sources relating to the civil wars in Chad and reconstruction programmes. In addition to these sources, oral sources and webography were also used. Four theories are used in this study, namely the theory of transnationalism, the theory of economic rationality, the theory of human security, and the theory of constructivism. They provided an opportunity to identify, understand and analyse the provisions on which the widespread use of minors in the various internal conflicts in Chad and neighbouring countries is based, and to examine the reintegration mechanism implemented. For the rest, it follows a chronological, critical and thematic approach. Indeed, since decolonisation, Chad‟s political history has been one of violent factionalism. Existing political and ethnic tensions were exacerbated when, in the early 2000s, conflict broke out between the government and armed opposition groups as a result of dissatisfaction with the regime. These internal tensions were further escalated when the conflict in Darfur, in neighbouring Sudan, spread across the border and led to a proxy war between Chad and Sudan from 2005. From the early 2000s onwards, these persistent outbreaks of armed conflict resulted in widespread recruitment and use of civilians, including children by all parties, including the Chadian National Army (ANT). To give these child soldiers an alternative, a post conflict reconstruction plan called the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme was set up in 2007. The DDR programme has proven to be relatively ineffective with regard to the release of children from armed groups in the National Army, and the poor programme design did not ensure that armed groups would be attracted to the programme so that the child soldiers who were part of them could be rehabilitated. The DDR programme ended in December 2011. At that point, its failure to foster the substantial reintegration of child soldiers had become apparent. The success of the reintegration of child soldiers depends on the correction of certain conceptual shortcomings of DDR, the restructuring of Transit and Orientation Centres (TOC), involvement of families, the international community, the sincerity of the government, parties and the conscientisation of the demobilised.