Children in Conflict: Assessing the Impact of UN Targeted Sanctions on Rebel Groups' Recruitment of Child Soldiers

Abstract: Sanctions are becoming an increasingly utilised tool for peacemaking and consequently, it is of importance to analyse its possible consequences. This paper aims to analyse the possible covariation between UN-targeted sanctions and the recruitment of children by rebel groups. The purpose is to answer the research question: How do UN-targeted sanctions impact rebel groups' recruitment of child soldiers? Based on rational choice theory and a consideration of previous literature, it is hypothesised that imposing UN-targeted sanctions against a rebel group increases the likelihood that said rebel group will increase their recruitment of child soldiers. Utilising a qualitative research method, including a structured focused comparison, the rebel groups UNITA and FARC were selected for empirical analysis based on Mill's method of difference. The empirical analysis finds some support for the proposed theoretical argument in the case of UNITA but conflicting evidence regarding FARC indicates that the proposed causal mechanism requires further research.