Maj.-Gen Chaplain Khamis Edward, head of SSPDF Child Protection, speaks to Eye Radio in Juba on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 | Credit | Charles Wote/Eye Radio

The national army is claiming that the number of children associated with the armed forces in the country has significantly reduced.

“Although some organizations are exaggerating the number of child soldiers in South Sudan, the fact is that there is reduction in recruitment of children,” says Maj.-Gen Chaplain Khamis Edward, head of SSPDF Child Protection.

This week, the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security held a three-day high-level meeting with army commanders from the SSPDF, SPLA IO and SSOA on prevention of recruitment and use of children in the armed forces.

In 2019, UNICEF said there were about 19,000 children associated with the armed groups across the country.

Between 2014 and 2018, about 4,000 children were released and reunited with their families, mainly in Western Equatoria and Unity states and Pibor Administrative Area.

In February 2020, the South Sudan government – with support from partners – signed a comprehensive action plan to end and prevent all grave violations against children in the country.

Maj.-Gen. Khamis attributed the reduction after a joint verification committee that screened all the troops in the barracks, training centers and cantonments in the country.

“The only actors that are still maybe having few children are the opposition forces,” he told Eye Radio at the end of a three-day workshop on prevention of recruitment and use of children in the armed forces in Juba on Wednesday.

However, the opposition parties are yet to comment on Maj.-Gen. Khamis’ allegations.

For his part, the country representative of Dallaire Institute Munyamaliza Edouard said they want “to put child’s rights on top on any other agenda”

“Now that we are talking of peace building process or implementation of the revitalized peace agreement in South Sudan, definitely the child’s rights are also part of the revitalized peace agreement specifically the prevention of recruitment and use of children as soldiers,” Edouard added.

Among the recommendation, the army commanders called for full implementation of the child act 2008.

They pointed needs to strengthen the capacity and train the division commanders on child protection.

Other recommendations include consolidating the child protection to be incorporated to training curriculum among others.