AFRICAN CHILD SOLDIERS: A POST-COLONIAL ANALYSIS OF UZODIMMA IWEALA’S BEASTS OF NO NATION AND ISMAIL BEAH’S A LONG WAY GONE

Abstract

This article, African Child Soldiers: A Post-Colonial Analysis of Uzodimma Iweala’s Beasts of No Nation and Ismail Beah’s A Long Way Gone, explores the participation of children in wars in post-colonial African societies. In the aftermath of colonialism, Africa has been plagued by armed conflicts, a tragic consequence of which is the widespread recruitment of child soldiers.  the general purpose of this paper is to contribute to the representation of the disruptions in child development as a result of the upheavals of war, and shedding light on the devastating impact of war on their innocence and humanity examining them through the lens of the postcolonial theory of Amilcar Cabral, who argued that colonialism destroyed traditional social and political structures in colonised societies. Postcolonial theory is crucial in this paper because it provides a framework for understanding the intricacies of translating African literature by addressing challenges rooted in colonial dynamics, and it examines the enduring legacies of colonialism and challenges Eurocentric narratives. The data analysis technique employed in this study is a descriptive procedure, involving the researcher's interpretation and understanding of the text and content analysis. The researcher finds that the legacy of colonialism, with its exploitative practices and destabilisation of African societies, has created an environment disposed to the recruitment of children into armed groups. The researcher also finds that there is a shift from the normal culture of caring for, cherishing, and protecting children to exposing them to the harshness of war, taking advantage of their vulnerability, naivety, and weakness.