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Program aims to heal psyches of war-ravaged children
Sierra Leone civil war leaves hidden scars
July 20, 1996
Web posted at: 9:10 p.m. EDT (0110 GMT)SIERRA LEONE, Africa (CNN) -- The ongoing civil unrest in Sierra Leone has created thousands of victims. But one program is trying to undo the psychological damage to the nation's children.
Children Associated With War tackles the traumas of youngsters who have lost family members in the bloodshed or who -- despite their ages -- are being used as soldiers in the conflict.
In one counseling session, a child stands before a roomful of other youngsters and recalls: "They killed my mother and my two brothers." She sheds no tears.
"Everything was witnessed, and that has had an effect on their psychological profile," Dr. Edward Nahim, a psychiatrist, said.
"If we don't have a program now, then in the long run we might have children who become completely lost, who will be a nuisance to the community and will be a liability to all."
The Revolutionary United Front has been fighting a rebel war against military leadership in Sierra Leone since 1991, when Joseph Momoh was president. In 1992, junior army officers toppled Momoh. But the RUF continued its rebellion. About 10,000 people have died in the fighting; thousands more have been displaced.
The civil war has been marked by savage attacks on civilians, including reports of mutilations. Children not only see the suffering, but are forced to inflict it.
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It is estimated that 6,000 soldiers fighting on both sides of the conflict are youngsters. Rehabilitating them is a crucial part of the Children Associated with War program.
"Most of the kids see the military, to be in combat and to be 'Rambo-like,' is a quite prestigious thing to be, Nahim said. "Some said they enjoyed the music of the guns. That's how they recall it. That's the different sounds of the different guns. For them, it's musical and they got a lot of fun out of it."
The program's organizers hope to eventually reunite the children with their families. For now, though, only a handful of Sierra Leone's traumatized youths have received the help they need.
And, despite efforts to end the conflict, the bloodshed continues, creating more and more young victims.
CNN's Bob Coen contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Sierra Leone army returns power to civilians - March 29, 1996
- Rebels break cease-fire days before scheduled peace talks - March 23, 1996
- Sierra Leone government claims new cease-fire - March 17, 1996
- CNN - No clear winner in Sierra Leone election - March 2, 1996
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