South Sudan’s government launched the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign Wednesday to renew the country’s commitment to end recruitment and use of children by its army.
Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs Kuol Manyang Juuk said at the John Garang Freedom Square that his government will no longer allow children to join the military.
Director of child affairs Regina Wasa in the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare said three generations of South Sudanese since the 1950s have been victims of civil war in South Sudan. She said the time has come now for the younger generation to go to school.
The United Nations supported the initiative, and jointly launched the campaign. United Nation Special Representative of the Secretary General Leila Zerrougui said after South Sudan independence, children’s lives have improved, but on December 15 last year all of that have changed.
“A new generation of children is again haunted by war. Children have been recruited to fight or support the war. They have been used by everyone involved in conflict. This is a huge setback,” Zerrougui said.
“I have heard the message from the special representative of United Nations for children in armed conflict blaming the two parties the government and the rebels for continuing keeping children within the ranks of SPLA army,” Juuk said. “I was assured by SPLA chief of staff that there are no children within the ranks of SPLA,” Juuk said.
“But when I heard the report of the special representative of the secretary general on child recruitment to the army, I wanted to find the truth,” he continued. “Is it the SPLM chief of staff that is not telling me the truth or somebody from here who reported to the UN special representative in New York? Somebody must answer that,” he added.
Juuk rejected the report and accused some individuals within South Sudan of sending bad reports about his government. He noted he will launch an investigation to find out who is exactly sending such reports.
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Photo: A portrait of a 14 year old Boy in Bentiu. Adriane Ohanesian/Al Jazeera.