South Sudan’s campaign to stop the use of child soldiers is beginning to show real results. The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) confirmed that several children have recently been freed by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).
Brigadier Akech Maker, Commander of SSPDF Brigade 16 in Yambio, Western Equatoria, was present at the official handover ceremony.
“We in the SSPDF will never allow children to be recruited into the army,” he said. “If a child shows interest in joining, we’ll instead direct them toward education. I call on institutions to support these children fully so they don’t end up back in military camps.”
The Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) officials carried out the necessary registration and verification to help the children safely return to civilian life. They will continue monitoring to ensure that none of them are taken back into combat.
Hellen Ernasio, Chairperson of DDR in Western Equatoria, said, “We will keep watch to make sure no child remains in the army, so our forces are cleared from the list of shame for recruiting children and violating their rights.”
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