Kingdom of Swaziland

Covers the period from April 2001 to March 2004.

Population: 925,0001
Government armed forces: unknown
Compulsory recruitment age: no conscription
Voluntary recruitment age: 18
Voting age: 18
Optional Protocol: not signed
Other treaties ratified (see glossary): CRC, GC AP I and II, ILO 138, ILO 182

There were no reports of under-18s in the armed forces.

Context

Food insecurity became severe following drought in the Southern Africa region in 2002. The government's human rights record remained poor. Child abuse and child rape remained serious problems, and the number of street children grew.2 Prevalence of HIV/AIDS was estimated at over 34 per cent of the population.3

Government

National recruitment legislation

Recruitment is regulated by the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Order of 1977. There is no conscription and the minimum age for voluntary recruitment into the armed forces is 18. Birth certificates are required to be produced and verified on enlistment.4

1 The Statesman's Yearbook 2004, ed. Barry Turner, Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

2 US Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2003, February 2004, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/hr/c1470.htm.

3 UNICEF, At a glance: Swaziland, 2004, http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/swaziland.html.

4 Communication to Child Soldiers Coalition from the Commander, Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force, 25 March 2004.

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