Children Recruitment: Tragic End of Childhood

Sudan Events – Report :Haffiya Elyas 

Report issued recently by UNICEF that 14 million children are in need to humanitarian aid and 19 million are without basic schooling while 35 million ones are cesistable to risk of death due to mallnutrition and diseases.

About 3 million children are exposed to violence, worse treatment and exploitation after more than 200 -day war.

The organization was quoted as releasing in its official facebook ,children need peace to avoid catastrophy of generations.

It further stated Sudan was registered as the highest figure of displaced children world-wide. security ,health ,education and well-being.

Child Recruitment

UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, said unaccompanied children and children from poor families have reportedly been targeted by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in the outskirts of the capital Khartoum and elsewhere.

Child soldiers are children (individuals under the age of 18) who are used for any military purpose. Some are in their late teens, while others may be as young as four. They are not only boys – many are girls.

Some child soldiers are used for fighting – to kill and commit other acts of violence. Others are used as cooks, porters, messengers, informants or spies, or in any other way their commanders want.

Letter to Chairperson

In July , SAF accused the RSF of exploiting Children and recruiting them to fight in the ongoing war.

The National Council for Child Welfare NCCW sent a letter to Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council accusing the RSF of recruiting thousands of Children and committing violations against thousands of others.

UNICEF reports that the fighting has displaced more than 1 million children.

Hundreds have been killed, thousands are injured. There are reports of children’s bodies within mass graves and crimes of sexual violence against girls. As fighting has extended into civilian areas, schools are closed, children’s institutions have been attacked, and health care facilities have been looted and destroyed. Aid agencies are struggling to provide humanitarian aid.

Government ,civil society and comunities have work on the physical well-being of the child, and have  to make sure that the physical, mental and social aspects of the child are in equilibrium.”

The UN Security Council passed a new resolution to ‘strengthen mechanisms to prevent violations against children’, and the launch of a Global Coalition for Reintegration ,co-chaired by the UN Office for Children and Armed Conflict and UNICEF, which aims to improve funding support for returning children, could potentially have a positive impact in years ahead.

Action Plan

The Government of Sudan signed only the Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict in 2002. A period of legislative review of both protocols was followed. The two protocols are ratified, which makes them obligatory under international law.

The Action Plan for the Protection of Children in Armed Conflict was signed by the Government of Sudan and the UN on 27 March 2016 is considered one of the important steps in child protection, the Action Plan set out a series of measures to enhance the overall protection of children affected by armed conflict, including the cessation and prevention of child recruitment. The Government has shown serious commitment to fully implement the Action Plan. Several steps have already been taken by the Government to ensure its implementation, including establishing relevant structures at the national and state level for its implementation, providing access for verification, sending command orders, and undertaking steps to access age verification mechanisms.

The Convention of the Right of the Child CRC

The Convention of the Right of the Child CRC makes specific mention of children in war. Article 38 calls on States Parties (i.e. governments) to apply the rules of international humanitarian law that are relevant to the child, and to take every feasible measure “to ensure protection and care of children who are affected by armed conflict.”

Article 38 also urges governments to take all feasible measures to ensure that children under 15 have no direct part in the hostilities. Specifically, with respect to child soldiers, it states:

Article 38 also urges governments to take all feasible measures to ensure that children under 15 have no direct part in the hostilities. Specifically, with respect to child soldiers, it states.

The Convention of the Right of the Child CRC makes specific mention of children in war. Article 38 calls on States Parties to apply the rules of international humanitarian law that are relevant to the child, and to take every feasible measure “to ensure protection and care of children who are affected by armed conflict.”

Article 38 also urges governments to take all feasible measures to ensure that children under 15 have no direct part in the hostilities. Specifically, with respect to child soldiers .

Sudan has made efforts to improve the legislative framework, to harmonize it with international standards, and to develop child protection mechanisms to create a protective environment for children.

Unfortunately, even children’s behaviors have changed because of the war through playing with toy guns .

Some parents worry that allowing their children to play with toy guns will lead to them being violent as they get older.

We hope peace talks resume in Jeddah to reach a solution that will stop the war and end the suffering of our Children to enjoy their rights .