For years now we've all heard the tragic
stories of the child stories in Africa.
But now children there are being exploited
in a much more heartbreaking way.
That's right. According to several human
rights organizations
young boys as young as seven years old are
being kidnapped and forced into life
as child politicians.
And joining us here in the studio is
one of those former child politicians,
he's written this book "What I Saw:
Memories of a Child Politician",
Sheku Mohammed,
and from UNICEF, Wesley Harbin.
Thank you guys for being
with us this morning.
Wesley, help us understand
this senseless cruelty.
Well, it's hard for us to imagine Tracey,
but in Africa, boys like Sheku
are torn from their families,
they're taken to training camps,
and forced to run for government office
against their will. - No.
They're bound and gagged,
they're given talking points.
Politics is sad enough when
it's just adults involved,
but when you force children into that kind
of activity, that's beyond disgusting.
It is, these kids are marched off to
villages where they go from house to house
trying to get votes, shaking hands,
complimenting the food at local restaurants.
That's terrible!
- They're forced to memorize the names
of thousands of local sports teams.
- My God.
Sheku is this what happened to you?
- Yes, they broke into my house.
They threatened to rape my sisters
unless I ran for the open seat in parliament
in the Cambia district. I was only 11.
- Unbelievable.
As a mother, it just breaks my heart
to see children like this.
It was all horrible, all day and night
waving, giving thumbs up. - Oh my goodness.
I was never allowed to rest.
- A former prime minister from Uganda,
he's 12 now. He told me that his advisor
would cut his arms with knives
and pack cocaine into the wounds
so that he would stay up for days on end
talking to farmers about protecting
their jobs. - No child should ever
have to pander for votes like that.
- On the campaign trail when I saw a baby,
I just grabbed it and kissed it.
I didn't care whose it was.
So sad, you didn't have a choice.
- I was lucky because I escaped,
but most of my childhood friends
are they're still partitions.
And the victimization
is not limited to boys.
Young girls are often forced to become
politicians' wives against their will.
Made to wear elaborate hairdos, they have to
stand next to their child politician husband
smiling, but they're warned
that if they speak they'll be killed.
That's so sad. - The book again is, "What
I Saw: Memories of a Child Politician".
Go out and buy it. It will make you
glad to be an American, won't it?
Coming up after the break
we're gonna find out how to tell
if your husband's co-workers
are sluts.
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