Child soldiers: “every child forced to take up arms sees their rights violated”

Child soldiers during a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration ceremony on February 10, 2015, in Pibor, Jonglei State, South Sudan, supervised by Unicef.

AFP PHOTO/Charles LOMODONG

Text by: RFI Follow

3 mins

February 12 marks the International Day of Child Soldiers.

Today, it is estimated that nearly 300,000 children are involved in various conflicts.

Brendan Ross, child protection officer in South Sudan for Unicef, warns of the violation of the rights of young people.

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RFI: Are there many child soldiers in South Sudan?

Brendan Ross

: In South Sudan, the number of child soldiers has gone down over the past five years.

According to our estimates, today there are less than 100 children who are still enrolled in the armed forces and armed groups.

But the current problem in Sudan, as in many other countries, because of great poverty, and because of decades of civil war, there are many young people who have taken up arms, who have been enrolled in gangs , and who are involved in various conflicts such as cattle theft or community violence.

This is one of the major problems in Sudan today.

RFI: Why do these children find themselves enlisted in the armed forces?

BR

: As is the case in many conflicts, young people do not have many opportunities in their lives, they fight for their education, they have no alternatives.

They see older men and boys participating in conflicts.

They didn't go to school long enough.

Most of the time there is no work.

And so, picking up a gun and fighting to defend their community or their village, or to earn some money fighting for a politician, is what they think is the best opportunity for them.

Many of them have suffered many traumas.

They have lost their bearings, their parents.

So there are a lot of factors that lead to getting involved.

But you know, 11-12-13 year old boys,

RFI: Do child soldiers have a special role in conflicts?

BR

: They are soldiers like the others.

In some cases they fight in the front line, in others they are used as spies.

Sometimes they have to fulfill other roles like a cook.

There are lots of different tasks children are forced to do.

But children have no place in the armed forces!

Children need their right to education, their right to have a childhood, to play, to be guaranteed.

So, this international day serves us to come together to recognize this fact: every child forced to take up arms sees their rights violated.

It is a violation of their childhood and they will be traumatized by it for the rest of their lives.

We must end this practice, that is what this day is for.

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• South Sudan

• Children's rights

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