About 18 women from 15 women-led civil society organizations in Juba, South Sudan were trained on how to use their leadership roles in preventing the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
The Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace, and Security, in partnership with Support for Women in Governance Organization (SWIGO) and the South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS), organized the training on 26 and 27 August 2021, in Juba.
According to The Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace, and Security, the training was aimed at empowering women leaders about child soldiers, understanding of the Children, Peace and Security Agenda, and conducting effective community dialogues to create awareness and encourage community participation to prevent recruitment and use of children in armed combat.
Maj. Gen. Daniel Justin, South Sudan spokesperson of the South Sudan National Police Service, opened the training with an assurance that the police are open to working with civil society organizations on the matter.
"For us, we consider these children as a vulnerable group in the situation of war and instability. They suffered a lot and for us as police, we need to have that special attention. So in our courses, we managed to develop some mechanisms to improve how we can address these sufferings from children or the vulnerable groups," he said. "So we have developed country-wide with police stations, we have special protection units. In that special protection unit, whenever we get a child he faces different treatment and with care, such that these children are helped. Even if they are involved in crime, through our people in the prison, with the help of a lot of stakeholders. In Juba here, we have a reformatory place functioning in Lologo and we have some children who are there."
He added, "Now at all our police stations, we have a special protection unit that is concerned with vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly."
Maj. Justin called for cooperation with civil society, community leaders, and the public in ensuring that children are not recruited or used by any armed groups in the country.