African Children in Armed Conflict: An Examination of Legal Protection and Practical Challenges

Abstract

Armed conflict remains one of the most significant threats to the rights and well-being of children in Africa, despite the existence of an extensive body of international, regional, and domestic legal protections. This article examines the effectiveness of the legal protection of African children in armed conflict by analyzing the applicable normative frameworks alongside judicial interpretations and practical realities across conflict-affected African states, with particular reference to Cameroon. Adopting a doctrinal and qualitative methodology, the study analyses international humanitarian law, international human rights law, African regional instruments, relevant case law, and reports from the United Nations and other international bodies. The findings reveal a persistent gap between strong normative commitments and weak implementation, driven by fragile domestic institutions, limited accountability, and protracted conflicts. Although African regional instruments provide context-sensitive protections, enforcement mechanisms remain underdeveloped, and impunity continues to undermine deterrence. The article contributes to existing scholarship by offering a holistic, multi-layered legal analysis that links normative frameworks, jurisprudence, and empirical challenges affecting children in armed conflict in Africa. It concludes that while legal protection is normatively robust, its practical effectiveness remains limited, and meaningful improvement requires strengthened domestic enforcement, child-centered reintegration strategies, and enhanced regional and international cooperation.