Karen_A._Mingst,_Ivan_M._Arregu_n-Toft]_Essentia

386 CHAPTER TEn ■ ­Human Ri­ht

h he Victims of War

The plight of the victims of the actions of Boko
Haram described at the beginning of the chapter
is not unique. Women and children are often the
victims of war and civil strife. While some may
take up arms and become warriors themselves,
most have become victims by other means, losing
their spouses and family members, their homes,
and their livelihood. Some have been raped, tor­
tured, and forced into providing sexual ser vices
for troops. Headlines around the world have been
shocking— “Most of the Girls Rescued from Boko
Haram Are now Pregnant” read one.a
Sometimes, women and children become
pawns in po liti cal strife. In Uganda, the Lord’s

Re sis tance Army has, since the 1980s, been

responsible for the abduction of over 30,000 chil­

dren in northern Uganda, using them as child sol­

diers and creating fear and intimidation. Similar to

the #BringBackOurGirls movement in nigeria, the

campaign mounted by the nongovernmental or ga­

ni za tion Invisible Children on behalf of the child

soldiers drew the attention of the global commu­

nity, only to be later discredited for its recommen­

dations. In both cases, social media was unable to

right the wrongs or keep the world’s attention.

In nigeria, about 1,000 of the girls and children

abducted by Boko Haram have been freed.

When they talk about their captivity, they report

Behind The headlines

Women and children gather in the UN’s Assaga refugee camp in southeast Niger in 2015. They have fled from Boko
Haram vio lence in their home country, Nigeria.