Authorities in South Sudan’s Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) have said they are working to remove child soldiers from all the armed forces in the area amid growing calls to end the use and recruitment of child soldiers in the country.
Lokali Amae, the area’s chief administrator told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that using child soldiers is against international law and that all the stakeholders are being engaged for the safe demobilization and reintegration of the children into the community.
“It is not right to have a child in the army. They should be left to decide for themselves when they are above 18,” Amae said. “So, as part of the national policy, I formed a committee to identify, remove, and reintegrate all the child soldiers in the various groups.”
The chief administrator who was a child soldier during the liberation war said his committee will remain operational until all the children are removed from military service.
“During the Cobra insurgency, there were some child soldiers but I think they were removed but we are getting reports that there may be some child soldiers that is why this committee is formed to carry out campaigns in the town and go to the rest of the counties,” Amae said.
For his part, Nyang Korok, the deputy head of the GPAA human rights commission, welcomed the move saying it will grant the children’s right to education.
“A child should be in school, not a soldier. So I am happy with this move and I urge all the relevant authorities at the local and national levels to ensure any child soldier is removed and allowed to be at school for the future of this country,” Korok said.