By Hou Akot Hou
United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is conducting a three-day training session for South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) officers, police, prison officials, and government representatives in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
The training, which commenced on Tuesday, focused on six grave violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence, killing and maiming, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
Elizabeth Karjella, a UNMISS representative, stressed that it is important to protect children’s rights, particularly preventing the recruitment of minors into the armed forces.
She urged participants to prioritize the demobilization, reintegration, and reunification of child soldiers.
Ajou Kuek, the head of the National Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Commission for Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, stressed the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure the protection of children’s rights and called for the immediate demobilization of child soldiers.
“It is a primary responsibility for all children to be delisted from the army and they have to be reintegration and reunited with their families. As it is a national responsibility for the government to demobilise the children,” said Kuek.
Kuek said implementing the peace agreement’s provisions on child protection and establishing effective monitoring and reporting mechanisms is paramount.
He urged all officers to actively identify and reunite child soldiers with their families, emphasizing the crucial role of child protection partners in this process.
UNMISS continues to prioritize the protection of civilians, the creation of a conducive environment for humanitarian assistance, and the implementation of the peace agreement.
The training session aims to enhance the capacity of security forces to prevent and respond to grave violations of international humanitarian law, particularly those affecting children.