Sudan summons UNICEF representative to protest JEM pact

July 24, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese foreign ministry today summoned the deputy representative of UNICEF in Sudan and conveyed to him its “strong worded” rejection to a recent deal it signed with the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) recently related to child soldiers.

The agreement sealed this week allows the UN to access to JEM bases to check that children are not being recruited as soldiers. The UN said children found in military areas or in conflict zones could be removed under the deal.

An estimated 6,000 children have been involved in fighting in Darfur.
Sudan official news agency (SUNA) said that this accord is “invalid” because it represents a blatant breach of laws and international conventions in having an international organization stepping in to sign a bilateral agreement with a rebel movement that is fighting the government.

The government demanded from the NICEF representative a written explanation to the step and to back away from the agreement.

The foreign ministry spokesperson Muawiya Osman Khalid stressed that JEM does not have any land under its control and that its fighters are being chased away by Sudanese armed forces.

He also scoffed at the JEM remarks that signing the agreement with UNICEF aims to protect children saying that they rebel group recruits children and used them in its attack on Omdurman in May 2008.

Sudanese TV at the time showed images of child POW’s captured during the attack while fighting with JEM.

JEM leaders, who travelled to Geneva for the signing, said the movement had no child soldiers but agreed to it as a gesture of goodwill.

The Sudanese official further his government’s firm refusal on recruiting children in armed conflicts.

(ST)