FILE: Newly released child soldiers wait in a line for their registration during the release ceremony in Yambio, South Sudan - courtesy

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in South Sudan is calling on the government to exert commitment in implementing measures for the protection of children in the country.

Nicholas Haysom said the UN Mission would like to see accountability against individuals involved in crimes against children, including their recruitment and use in conflicts.

Other violations include sexual violence, abduction, and attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access.

“To address the concerning trend of increase in the recruitment of children, we must adopt targeted measures towards safeguarding children,” Haysom said, addressing a three-day conference on the Protection of Children from Grave Violations, held in Juba.

“This is represented by the government full commitment to the action plan, particularly its implementation within the unified forces. I just want to underline that professionally trained and well equipped deployed forces can both prevent violation and actively protect children.”

Mr. Haysom called on the transitional government to implement the action plan on prevention of abuse against children by ensuring that the regular forces are properly trained to prevent violations.

He also suggested collaboration with the South Sudan army to deploy mobile courts and general courts to try perpetrators of such crimes.

“We should not turn a blind eye to the importance of ensuring accountability for those responsible for violation against children. The gaps and impunity must be closed, sending a message of zero tolerance for such crimes.”

“The UN has been and remains committed to supporting accountability mechanism including your support and collaboration with SSPDF the deployment of mobile court and the deployment of general courts.”

On her part, UNICEF Country Representative Hamida Laseko said the agency will continue to advocate for and actively demobilize children whenever found engaged in armed conflicts.

Ms. Hamida said children are not commanders and should never be dressed in military uniforms.

She further called for firm commitment to protect children and ensure that they remain free from the horrors of armed conflict.

“Our work has been and will continue to be not only to advocate but to demobilize children whenever we come across that they are engaged in armed conflicts and we always condemn and will continue to condemn this is no longer acceptable, especially in the country like South Sudan,” Hamida said.

According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), an estimated 16,000 children have been recruited by armed groups and armed forces since the crisis in South Sudan first began in December 2013.

UNICEF said children continue to be recruited and used by armed groups and forces despite widespread political commitment to end the practice.

“I know a lot of effort has gone into making sure that children are not recruited and used in arm forces, but I believe that we still have more work to be done, children are not commanders, children are not supposed to be in uniform, they are not supposed to carry arm.”

“They are not supposed be spy, they are not supposed to be cleaners or cooks and made as wives of the arm forces, they are not, and it should not happen, especially in this era in the Country like ours South Sudan.”

The conference was organized by The Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, the National DDR Commission, and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan