New York/Karthoum 22 November 2009 - Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, welcomes the signing of an action plan by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) to end the use of children as soldiers in Juba on 20 November 2009.
"This commitment is a milestone in the efforts to end association of children with the SPLA. I shall continue to appeal to the SPLA leadership to spare no effort to release and prevent re-association of these children with their armed elements," said Ms. Coomaraswamy.
These efforts require more resources to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of children back into their communities. "My Office will advocate, in collaboration with UNICEF, for a common strategy to raise funds for children formerly associated with armed forces and groups in the whole of Sudan," she commented.
Ms. Coomaraswamy also commends the Government of National Unity for the progress made in the last two years to strengthen the protection of children.
"I am pleased the Government of National Unity is taking ownership of the protection agenda through the establishment of mechanisms, such as the Family and Child Protection Units, particularly in Darfur, Khartoum and other states in Northern Sudan with the intention to expand such units throughout the country," she noted. "These mechanisms also include the DDR commissions to work closely with the United Nations to facilitate the release and reintegration of former child combatants," she added further.
"I, however, remain concerned about the presence of children amongst non-State armed groups including the Justice and Equality Movement and Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) factions," said Ms.Coomaraswamy. She also noted the association of some children within the Sudan Armed Forces. "I am particularly concerned about the allied militias recruiting children," she stated.
She welcomed the willingness by SLA/Mother Abu Ghasim, SLA/Free Will and JEM/Peace Wing to release children, and their undertaking to develop action plans in collaboration with the United Nations. She also welcomed the agreement by SLA/Minni Minnawi to grant unimpeded and immediate access to areas under their control for verification of compliance in conformity with the provisions of an action plan they signed in 2007.
"Delisting from the Secretary-General's report would be contingent on the full implementation of the action plans", she reminded the parties.
At the community-level, religious leaders in Darfur agreed to begin a campaign and deliver public messages in their mosques calling for an end to child recruitment.
Meanwhile, Ms.Coomaraswamy welcomed the fact that silence around sexual violence has been broken and can be spoken about more openly. The Special Representative calls upon the Government to adopt as a matter of urgency, a comprehensive national strategy to combat gender-based violence that includes prevention, accountability and response.
She also used the opportunity to remind the Government to respect the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, prohibiting the application of the death penalty against children.
In West Darfur, the Special Representative spoke with youth, sheiks, sheikhas and umdas (traditional leaders) who expressed their fear of living in insecurity within IDP camps and appealed to the United Nations to provide greater protection. They also brought to her attention allegations of recruitment of children from the camps.
Meanwhile LRA incursions into villages and abductions remain a threat to children in South of Sudan. The Special Representative discussed this concern with the Commanders of the Ugandan Armed Forces present in Western Equatoria, and urged for the development of protocols to assist children rescued during operations.
"I spoke to girls and boys formerly abducted by the LRA in Juba who recounted that they lived in fear of death everyday," she said. "Children's experiences were horrendous, and the LRA remains one of the worst offenders in the world today. We must mobilize all efforts to protect civilians, especially children in the LRA affected regions," Ms. Coomaraswamy added.
Other concerns she raised include the lack of access to many isolated areas in Darfur, under the control of armed groups. "The effort to assist affected communities and children has been hampered by no access and especially the targeting of humanitarian actors," she stated. "I also deplore the kidnapping of the two staff members of UNAMID, one of whom is a Child Protection Officer, and appeal for their safe release as soon as possible."
During her nine day official visit of Sudan, Ms. Coomaraswamy visited Khartoum, El-Fasher and El-Geneina in Darfur, as well as Juba, Yambio and Bor in Southern Sudan. She met with a cross-section of stakeholders, including the key interlocutors of the Government of National Unity and Southern Sudan, military leadership, signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement, civil society, religious and community leaders, children and internally displaced communities.
For further information, please contact:
UNMIS - Ashraf Eissa Spokesperson United Nations Mission in Sudan Office:+249 9 21 90 60 29 - Mobile +249 912 39 22 70 - Eissaa@un.org
NEW YORK- Laurence Gerard, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, New York. Phone: +1 212 963 0984 - gerardl@un.org
