A critical examination of the impact of armed conflict on children: A case study of Uganda

Conflict and violence are as old as life itself. Violence has always been and continues to be an instrument of power, maintaining the status quo between the victor and the vanquished. As unfolding events point to the fact that power and money rule the world creating new conflicts, tension and violence, it is difficult to imagine a world without wars. Armed conflict exists, when there is resort to arms by warring states or protracted armed violence, between such groups within a state. Socio-politically, armed conflict can be defined as conflicts or war between population groups, geographic units, political parties, religious and economic classes. During such armed conflicts, atrocities are committed, rights are violated and treaties breached. In all these, women and children seem to be disproportionately affected. This paper seeks, using the doctrinal method and written works on the issue, to identify and x-ray the impact of armed conflict on children with special reference to Uganda. Keywords: Armed conflict, Children, Uganda, Human Rights