South Sudan Pledges to End Use of Child Soldiers
Sep. 2nd, 2010
South Sudan has officially pledged to end the use of child soldiers within its region by the end of this year, the BBC, the AFP, and Reuters reports. The promise comes within the precipice of the referendum vote to decide its own autonomy from its northern counterpart or not. Out of South Sudan come reports that even the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) has established a child protection unit to make good on their promise. To date, the UN Children’s Agency estimates up to 900 children still fight with the SPLA, though it’s already discharged more than 20,000 children already in support of the pledge.
During the conflict, which ended in 2005 with the signature of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), what was known as the “Red Army” was the official title of the special “youth unit” in which child soldiers served in the rebel army of the South. Unfortunately, many more children still living in the recognized southern region still rely on serving in the military out of desperation, having no other means of support. That, or they grew up with their families in army barracks as well, sources in Sudan say.






