So the problem remains in all its complexity. Though some children joined army troops to escape desperate conditions at home, others were enticed by the prestige of wearing a uniform or for the feeling of doing something important. Still others, especially orphans, were forcibly conscripted. After perfunctory training, many children were put into the front lines for guerrilla-style lightning strikes in which they served as cannon fodder. In other cases, they were employed as scouts or camp aides.
Children make efficient soldiers.
They obey orders without question, kill without too much emotion and slip with ease in and around enemy lines. But when left to their own devices, as often happens during a rapid retreat, they are forced to deal on their own with hunger, disease and fear. Now, with war's end, they will also have to deal with peace. Since many of these young people have never experienced the principles that govern civil life, they must acquire a sense of responsibility for themselves and respect for their fellow human beings if they are to have any chance at all in the Angola of tomorrow. Getting an education is obviously a top priority.