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- The Small Boys Unit (SBU) was a group of children who were forcibly recruited by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) as militants during the Sierra Leone Civil War. The war began in 1991, when the RUF desired to overthrow the government and gain control of the diamond mines, a major source of revenue for the country. In 1998, 25% of the soldiers fighting in the war were under 18, and of those, 50% were abducted and 28% were under the age of 12. The war ended with a ceasefire on 18 January 2002. The SBU in Sierra Leone was made up of over 10,000 children, mostly between the ages of 8 and 10, who were notorious for their particularly cruel crimes against civilian populations, including human mutilation and torture. With over 55% of the population of Sierra Leone under 18, there was a large supply of potential fighters. Originally, the children were taken in order to carry ammo, food supplies and equipment to the other fighters. As the war progressed, children were taken to special work camps where the boys were trained for war and the girls were made into sex slaves. The first weapon that most children were handed was an AK-47, considered a lightweight gun that was manageable for their small size. Once they were sent out to fight, they executed the trades they were taught and engaged in the murder of innocent civilians and also those close to their family. A key person in the formation of the Small Boys Unit was President Charles Taylor of Liberia. Taylor "is believed to be one of the first warlords to recruit child soldiers, who were organized into Small Boys Units." During the war in Sierra Leone, Taylor acted as a means of obtaining weapons for the RUF, as Taylor would "trade their diamonds for weapons and in turn sold the diamonds to merchants exporting diamonds to Belgium." He allowed the RUF to use Liberia as a route for resupplying resources and was thought to directly control militant operations in Sierra Leone. In addition, accusations aimed at Taylor claim he ordered his troops to physically consume captured enemies. Following the end of the war, millions of people were displaced and thousands of children brainwashed. Rehabilitation and re-education was the next step for the children. The Special Court for Sierra Leone has been established to address the human rights violations that occurred and, as of 2010, they are still conducting trials of those accused to be leaders in the war. While conditions have improved in Sierra Leone following the end of the war, children in 2010 are still in a compromising situation, with an estimated 250,000 refugees and 600,000 internally displaced people. (en)
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