Nearly 300 child-soldiers released in S. Sudan’s Pibor county
April 27, 2015 (JUBA) – The United Nations’ Children Fund (UNICEF) agency said a girl was among about 300 child-soldiers released by former rebels in Jonglei state last week.
The release of children reportedly took place in Labrab, a village in the GPAA.
“It is the last chapter in a series of releases that have taken place since January and follows a peace agreement between the faction and the Government of South Sudan,” said the agency.
The Cobra Faction reportedly provided UNICEF with an initial estimate of 3,000 children said to be within in its ranks, with the numbers of children released now at 1,757.
“We are very pleased to have seen this process through and that the final group of children has been released,” said Jonathan Veitch, UNICEF South Sudan representative.
“But the work is far from over – these children must be reunited with their families and they must begin the long and difficult road towards rebuilding their lives,” he added.
During the ceremony conducted in the GPAA, the children handed in their weapons and uniforms for civilian clothes, UNICEF disclosed.
“They will stay at the interim care centre where they receive food, shelter, medical and psychosocial support until their families are traced and they can return home,” the agency further revealed.
“Since January, one thousand, one hundred and four children have been reunited with their families and more are going home each day, where most are already enrolled in learning programmes”.
Yau Yau’s rebellion ended with the signing of peace agreement with the South Sudanese government in May 2014 and by July, GPAA was established and it two counties eventually expanded to seven.
UNICEF, in the statement, said the reintegration programme follows the Paris Principles that stipulates a one-plus-one approach: support for each released and reunified child will also be provided to one vulnerable child in the same community. As such the programme invests in infrastructure and services that will benefit the whole community. The two-year reintegration process, which includes ongoing psychosocial support, costs an estimated $2,580 per child.
Currently, UNICEF is reportedly facing a funding shortfall of $11 million for its programme.
MALAKAL ABDUCTIONS OF CHILDREN
“The release of the children associated with the Cobra Faction is a small piece of good news in what is otherwise a terrible situation for children in other parts of South Sudan, where many hundreds of children have been abducted and forcibly recruited in Unity and Upper Nile Sates,” said Veitch.
“UNICEF is extremely concerned about the welfare of children recently recruited around Malakal in Upper Nile State, given the recent upsurge in fighting in the area. We again call for the immediate release of these children and we continue to stand ready to provide all necessary support for their demobilization,” he further added.
In March, UNICEF accused a pro-government militia led by Maj. General Johnson Olony of allegedly kidnapping several school children in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state.
(ST)