The Juba-based Committee for Eradication of Abduction of Women and Children in South Sudan has called on the African Union and international community to intervene to rescue the 89 schoolboys abducted by an armed group in a government-held part of Upper Nile state last week.
A group of at least 89 schoolboys were forcibly recruited by an armed group in the village of Wau Shilluk north of Malakal over a week ago, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Committee chairman James Aguer said: “We as the Committee for Eradication of Abduction of Women and Children in South Sudan have condemned in strongest terms the abduction of these children…We are calling for group responsible for an urgent releases of these children.”
“We are also calling for international intervention especially international community, African Union that deals with the abduction of children, and the government of South Sudan to act now in order to rescue the lives of these children abducted innocently,” he added.
Aguer said that abduction of children in in South Sudan has been ongoing both before and after independence and needs serious attention by the government.
He added that the committee is working with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) among others investigating the reports of abduction.
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization also condemned the abductions in Wau Shilluk.
“This is unacceptable and should not be tolerated,” they said in a statement. “Targeting children for strengthening military resource is a violation of child rights and it is a crime. CEPO is recommending IGAD and AU to intervene immediately without delay.”
CEPO declare a campaign “Free our school children for their studies,” saying they will petition IGAD and AU liaison offices in Juba to immediately intervene for the release of the school children abducted in Wau Shullik.
Related:
Militia accused of child abductions ‘is part of S. Sudan army’ (Feb. 24)
Radio Tamazuj photo: James Aguer, South Sudan’s Chairperson of the Committee for Eradication of Abduction of Women and Children, speaks in news conference in Juba 24 Feb 2015