COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS

Mainly covers the period June 1998 to April 2001 as well as including some earlier information.

  • Population:
    – total: 301,000
    – under-18s: 108,000
  • Government armed forces:
    – active: 860
  • Compulsory recruitment age: no conscription
  • Voluntary recruitment age: unknown
  • Voting age (government elections): 18
  • Child soldiers: unknown
  • CRC-OP-CAC: not signed
  • Other treaties ratified: CRC; GC/API+II
  • It is not known if there are any under-18s in government armed forces due to lack of information about the minimum recruitment age.

GOVERNMENT

National Recruitment Legislation and Practice

Recruitment for the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RDBF) is on voluntary basis only.176 No information is available on the minimum age of recruitment. Basic training for marines takes place at the Coral Harbour base. Marines and officers are trained in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

176 See http://www.nisbco.org/Report_Americas.htm, – website of the Centre on Conscience & War – NISBCO.

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