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Child Soldiers Global Report 2001 - Lesotho

KINGDOM OF LESOTHO

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

• Population:
  – total: 2,108,000
  – under-18s: 977,000
• Government armed forces:
  – active: 2,000
• Compulsory recruitment age: no conscription
• Voluntary recruitment age: unknown
• Voting age (government elections): 18
• Child soldiers: unknown
• CRC-OP-CAC: signed on 6 September 2000; supports "straight-18" position
• Other treaties ratified: CRC; GC/API+II; ICC; ILO 138

• It is not known if there are any under-18s in government armed forces as no age is specified for voluntary recruitment.

GOVERNMENT

National Recruitment Legislation and Practice

Lesotho has no conscription and enlistment into the Royal Lesotho Defence Force is voluntary.¹¹¹² Every person who enlists shall be given a notice "specifying the information required to be provided by that person and stating the general conditions of the engagement to be entered into by that person" (section 27 (1) of the Act). This notice does not specify any minimum age but requests the date of birth. "The recruiting officer shall not enlist any person in that force unless satisfied by that person that he has been given notice, understands it and, and wishes to be enlisted" (section 27 (1) of the Act). Section 73 of the Act states that "any person who, when before a recruiting officer for the purpose of being attested in pursuance of this Act, has knowingly made a false answer to any question contained in the attestation paper and put to him by the direction of the recruiting officer commits an offence, and shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months".

DEVELOPMENTS

International Standards

Lesotho signed the CRC-OP-CAC on 6 September 2000.

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1112 Horeman, and Stolwijk, op. cit.

Topics: Child soldiers, Military service,