Army officials pose for a picture during a workshop on child protection in Warrap State (Photo: Andrew Akol).

A senior military official in Warrap State vowed to bring an end to recruitment of children in the army, particularly in the newly formed Division 11 of the South Sudan People’s Defense forces, (SSPDF).

Brigadier General Andrea Ayok Akol, an army commander of the 11^th Division in Warrap State said the army is working with partners to set up child protection focal points within the division.

Speaking during a two-day workshop on Child Protection, General Akol further said the SSPDF have since shied away from recruiting child soldiers after several reports accused them of child abuse and human rights violations.

The Minister of Gender Child and Social Welfare, Rose Anyang urged the soldiers to desist from conscripting children, saying it as a clear violation of the country’s constitution.

On separate note, Anyang said her ministry recorded cases of child abuse and rape, including of a pregnant woman who suffered miscarriage during the inter-communal conflict in Tonj.

She appealed to the soldiers the soldiers to protect vulnerable groups during the violence, including children, women and elderly.

The head of UNMISS field office in Kuajok, Anastasie Nyirigira appealed to military to protect children from abuse in times of violence.

“It is the core responsibility of everyone to protect children and end child soldiers starting from parents to division commanders and then juniors officers.”

The workshop brought together over 50 SSPDF soldiers including women on awareness of action plan to protect children ended on Friday 7^th October 2022 and the division commander agreed to establish child protection focal points and end child soldiers.

South Sudan is said to be one of the countries with the largest number of child soldiers in the world.

According to the UN, there are still 19,000 children in the armed forces in South Sudan, a number contested by the army.

In 2018, the UN’s children agency UNICEF coordinated and secured the release of 900 children from the armed forces in the country.