Application of the Just War Theory to prevent youth in armed conflict in sub Saharan Africa: Article review

Introduction: Conflict is deliberately and meticulously verbally justified and securitized in order to make it acceptable to people who are not convinced by it. The consequences of youth involve in armed conflict especially in sub Saharan Africa are the loss of millions of people lives, mass displacement of people and the destruction of state assets. Peace has also been the ideal way to ensure co-existence among humanity on earth. This study critically examines how the Just War Theory constructs could be used to prevent youth in armed conflict in sub Saharan Africa. Method: The study employed various strategies to obtain relevant studies about the constructs of the theory. Review of studies was carried out through electronic databases searches. Search strategy with key terms related to the Just War Theory and youth in armed conflict were employed to retrieve relevant documents. Results: The study found that, limited studies were conducted with the theory especially in the context of armed conflict among the youth and how to prevent it. The study found that, youth in armed conflict in sub Saharan Africa was socially constructed and could be prevented if the just component of the theory was better explain for them to appreciate the need for peace. The involve of the youth in armed conflict is their limited understanding of the jus ad bellum and the jus in bello which is anchored on religious antecedents. Conclusion: Human existence has always been marked by conflicts, killing, and wars throughout recorded history. The youth were involved in armed conflict because of the notion of fighting for a just cause in the society. Thus, youth could better serve as advocate of change agents in their communities when things are not right through proper lobbying and advocacy.