It started in the early 1980s, in the lowlands of Mozambique. Rebel commanders had constructed a four-foot tall killing machine that cut its way through village after village and nearly overran the government.The Mozambicans learned that children were the perfect weapon: easily manipulated, intensely loyal, fearless and, most important, in endless supply.

Today, human rights groups say, there are 300,000 child soldiers worldwide. And experts say the problem is deepening as the nature of conflict itself changes especially in Africa.The result is that few adults want to have anything to do with them, and manipulating and abducting children becomes the best way to sustain the organized banditry.

what's the history behind it