While South Sudan has committed to end the recruitment of boys and girls by armed forces, many children remain in the service of such groups. Others, who have been released from uniformed ranks, are facing difficulties reintegrating into civilian life, with some of them virtually living on the streets.
“We should establish a reformatory protection center for children living in our neighborhoods. It would help keep them safe from violations of their rights and would allow us to coordinate initiatives to support them with relevant authorities,” says Nawadir Ajanouf, a concerned mother and civil society activist in Renk in northern Upper Nile State.
Her opinion is shared by youth leader Adam Mayut, who often comes across both children affiliated with armed forces and others – many of whom are refugees from neighbouring Sudan – of the approximately 400 boys he says are roaming Renk’s streets and engaging in various kinds of petty crimes.
“I ask them why they are loitering at the market and in other places, and they tell me they have nothing to eat and don’t receive the care they need at home. If we had a place where they could gather, we would be able to socialize them, give them food and engage them in sports or in cultural and other wholesome activities,” he says.
They raised their concerns and suggestions during a two-day forum organized by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to increase awareness on how to keep children safe from grave violations of their rights, one of which is to not be recruited or in other ways used by armed groups.
Apart from representatives of organized security forces and the judiciary, the training, attended by some 50 people, also targeted community leaders and members of various civil society organizations.
“We are extending the scope of our child protection efforts by being more inclusive and building the capacity of more people to identify and report violations suffered by girls and boys,” explained Phillip Lah, a Child Protection Officer serving with the UN peacekeeping mission.
Those in attendance also learnt more about how to protect themselves and their communities against the dangers posed by landmines, still a common threat in historically war-torn South Sudan, and other parts of the UNMISS mandate.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).