Arcadia Foundation

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.

“The SPLA by the end of this year will be child-free,” said William Deng, head of the south’s commission for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. “This army doesn’t lack manpower. If they wanted they could call millions now, but not children.”

The SPLA, the south’s former rebel movement, had already agreed with the UN to demobilize child soldiers and end their use across southern Sudan. Both the North and the South have suffered much destruction at the hands of a long civil war, though both are embracing hope out of their shared horrid histories.

Make no mistake, there’s still extreme turmoil between both the North and the South, especially while the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) still carries out attacks against its Southern enemies. SPLA chief of staff James Hoth says however, there’s no war and as such doesn’t need to recruit heavily, let alone recruit children. The LRA, however, remains extremely mobilized continuing to seek refuge in the Democratic Republic of Congo and launch attacks from there into the South. What isn’t clear, however, is to the extent of which how much responsibility the North maintains facilitates their activities. At the discussion tables however, both parties are embracing together their hopes for peace. Though both are remaining vigilant as well expressing the concerns.

“Taking a liberation army and transforming it into a professional army is a long road to walk,” said Lise Grande, the UN humanitarian coordinator for south Sudan. But she also warned that the SPLA must improve in other areas, including ensuring aid workers can safely do their jobs. Some four million people, roughly half the population of the south, depend upon some kind of food assistance in order to survive, Grande said. In addition, she states that heavy interference still hinders the distribution of food and medical supplies in general, to include LRA interception among other thieves in general,
mobilized or not.

The long civil war left much destruction, but there is a new atmosphere of hope. The southerners, who mostly belong to Christian or other religions compared to the largely Muslim and Arab population of
the North, are hoping that all will go peacefully with the vote. 2 million people returned to South Sudan after the end of the war and another 1.5 million are expected to repatriate ahead of the referendum. Some 12,200 southerners are currently living in Egypt and the government hopes to encourage them home on trains and buses and boats down the River Nile.

South Sudan still has a long way to go in overcoming all its troubles. There are still extreme tensions with the north and the country is also facing increased attacks from the Lord’s Resistance Army, who
have crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo to take harvests from villagers, forcing over 25,000 people to flee their homes. But despite all the many hurdles faced by this troubled region,
the southern Sudanese seem determined to build a better country for their children.

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