Youth, poverty and blood : the lethal legacy of West Africa's regional warriors : West Africa

Recommendations: To the governments of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Côte d'Ivoire -- To all governments donating funds to Liberia -- To the economic community of West Africa (ECOWAS) and the African Union -- To the United Nations Security Council -- To the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (ONUCI) -- To the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) -- To the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) -- To the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank and others involved in the design, management and evaluation of disarament exercises -- To the government of Nigeria -- To the International Committee of the Red Cross. -- Context: The regional warrior -- The sub-regional dynamic of West African conflicts -- Economic and social factors. -- The recruiters, their promises, the lure: Promises of payment and the opportunity to loot -- Recruitment in refugee camps. -- Regional warriors and human rights abuses: High level orders to commit atrocities - the Liberian Security Forces and RUF in Guinea -- Efforts to respect the laws of war met with limited success - the LURD in Liberia -- Looting on massive scale - not ordered but sanctioned at the highest level. -- Current theaters: Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire -- Guinea -- Côte d'Ivoire. -- Problems in the Disarmament programs in Sierra Leone and Liberia (1998-2005): Sierra Leonean disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration program (1998-2003) -- Liberian disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration (2002-present) -- Payment to demobilized children in Liberia and increased risk of re-recruitment -- Risks of failure in the disarmament program in Liberia -- Corruption by commanders and DDR/DDRR Program Employees -- Lack of grievance procedure -- Inadequate job training options -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- Annex. Includes bibliographical references. 74 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm.