Published Paper Details:

Cameroon's 1996 Constitution provides the core domestic framework for protecting children from recruitment and use in armed conflict. Through its Preamble and the supremacy clause in Articles 45 and 46, the Constitution incorporates international child protection norms including the CRC, ACRWC, and OPAC into the national legal order. A historical review of Cameroon's constitutional evolution demonstrates a gradual strengthening of commitments to human dignity, equality, and the protection of vulnerable groups. However, in conflict-affected areas such as the Far North, constitutional guarantees remain weak in practice, as Boko Haram continues to recruit and exploit children. Limited judicial independence, restricted access to constitutional justice, weak decentralisation, and operational constraints impede effective enforcement. The analysis concludes that although the Constitution offers a comprehensive normative foundation for preventing child recruitment, its protective potential depends on stronger implementation mechanisms and greater institutional commitment.