Motivation for Escape and Circumstances Predisposing Escape/Return
The desire of most girls was to escape and rejoin the normal (free) society. According to the girls this was always strong but that opportunity to escape was often rare. Some girls who tried to escape were captured and killed, and this acted as deterrent to many others.
Those who eventually mustered the courage to escape were reportedly motivated by successful escape stories of peers and stories of a better life outside the bush. The decision to escape was also fuelled by heightened levels of suffering in the bush and by love for children born in the bush and for desire to ensure these were seen by the family back home27. The child mothers began to imagine a different future for their children and they realised that this could only be assured by rejoining normal society28. Yet for some desire to have full custody of their children was another motivation as revealed by one FACM who had a disagreement with the father of the children:
There was only one reason that made me escape... [she wanted to keep her children]...because if it was life I thought that the life we had in captivity was what life was all about. I escaped because if I had not done it, Bogi [her bush husband whom she disagreed with] was going to take Yoba [her child] away and by now the children would be in Juba. So, I decided that it would be better to escape than lose my children; that was why I convinced my friends and we escaped (Ladira Maggie).
Other girls exploited their familiarity with the rebels and the knowledge of locality to initiate their escape. According to one FACM:
In 2004 I was shifted together with my then husband to a place called jubalomone, which was a sick bay for the rebels, around Juba town, it is only 6
27 Interview with child mothers
28 It is possible that many FACM while in the bush could have not anticipated the challenges of single
miles to reach Juba town. We started digging there but got to know that if we escaped and report to the Sudanese government forces we would be well received. In May 2004 we escaped and to one barracks called motala (after mutually planning the escape with my husband). From the barracks those soldiers [Sudanese armed forces] took us to one place near river Nile. We stayed there for two days as prisoners again we were taken to another barracks and again taken to jail in another barracks. We were locked up in jail for two weeks in the hand of Sudanese army. So one day Bigombe Atuku and Richard who was in charge of the children who escaped from captivity came to world vision in Sudan. So they went to the barracks, they took us and brought us to the world vision centre (Acii Lorna)
The situational factors that favoured return appeared to be constructed by both the will and power of the girls and the opportunities that came by, although as shown in the preceding quotation, it was not always without challenge of another nature other than that experienced in the bush. According to some key informants, other FACM returned during the protracted peace negotiations between the government and the rebels (2005- 2007). During this time many child mothers were released by the rebels as a gesture of goodwill for the peace process.
Risk Management during the Return Process (journey back home from the bush)
The process of return, especially for those who escaped on their own, was fraught with significant risks. Stories were told of girls who escaped and were re-kidnapped by the rebels and bludgeoned to death. This therefore, indicates that the decision to escape was taken only after careful thought and considerations of the circumstances, as well as knowledge of the ultimate consequence of their actions in case the plan aborts.
The child mothers therefore, exhibited considerable care and agency in managing their escape to ensure they did not fall prey to recapture. In managing risks, many escaped at night, rehearsing a well known route but keeping clear of the positions of the rebels and other fighting forces. It also worked to the advantage of the child mothers during their escape that they had their children with them, thus providing some reassurance to people coming into contact with them that they meant no harm.
Summary and Conclusions
This chapter has endeavoured to show the journey the child mothers undertook involuntarily starting with their abduction, bush experience and a discussion of the return process. The circumstances predisposing the children to abduction were discussed as well as the reported failure of child protection systems and stakeholders to protect children. The chapter also presented the critical events the children were unable to resist while in the bush, including sexual exploitation, forced motherhood, and other difficult experiences. I show in the chapter that many children tried to muster courage and strength to resist sexual abuse although they had to eventually give in due to the rebel
establishment‘s situational power over them.
Other critical events to which the girls were exposed during their time in the bush included killing, witnessing death, exposure to deadly battles, walking long distances and carrying heavy luggage. I have also demonstrated that the girls were subjugated and exploited, including being passed between different men as concubines. They were expected to perform roles of wife, mother and fighter at the same time and subjected to
oppression by powerful ―senior‖ wives. The chapter also discussed the circumstances
predisposing escape and eventual return of the child mothers and how the risks associated with such a process were managed and mitigated.
In chapter seven, I explore the post-bush relationships between the FACM who have returned home and the significant people in their lives. Chapter seven therefore explores in greater detail the nature of the relationship between the FACM and their children; the interactions of the FACM and their parents and extended family members as well as their in-laws. The nature of the relationships and interactions between the FACM and their peers and the wider community is also presented as well as the peer-to-peer support among the FACM themselves. Other factors affecting their RR are also explored.