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Report: Alnaeim Mubarak Kuol
Today, in Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile State, children led the celebration to mark #RedHandDay. This day, supported by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), serves to raise awareness and call for the end of child recruitment in armed conflicts. Benson Kur Monyjok, a participant, shared a heartbreaking story, saying, “He was only 12 years old, yet he took the lives of dozens. Ambushed and lost at such a young age, his story highlights the urgent need for change.”
Child recruitment in armed conflict is one of the most serious and violent human rights violations. Children in these contexts are exploited by armed groups, exposing them to grave dangers that affect their lives and futures. Recruiting children not only violates international law but also undermines their basic rights to live safely, receive education, and access care. Despite ongoing international and local efforts, child recruitment persists in some conflict areas, requiring further work to end this phenomenon.
Since the outbreak of conflict in South Sudan in December 2013, child recruitment has become one of the most prominent humanitarian issues. According to the United Nations and human rights organizations, thousands of children have been recruited by various warring parties in South Sudan, including government forces, opposition armed groups, and militias. These children are exposed to combat, sexual exploitation, physical and psychological abuse, and threats to their lives due to violent fighting.
Children recruited are usually between the ages of 12 and 17, though some cases involve even younger children. They are used in battles as infantry soldiers, or in supporting roles such as porters, cooks, or guards. Additionally, many of these children experience sexual exploitation and psychological violence, further intensifying the impact of this experience on their future lives.
The effects of child recruitment are devastating, as children exposed to armed conflict suffer profound psychological trauma. They witness death, destruction, and ongoing violence, which deeply impacts their mental health. Continuous trauma can lead to the development of psychological disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
Recruited children are often used in intense battles, exposing them to severe physical injuries, including gunshot wounds and blast injuries. Many of these children do not receive proper medical care, leading to further deterioration of their health.
When children are recruited into wars, they are deprived of education and the future they deserve. These children are forced to live in unstable environments, which hinders their ability to reintegrate into society later on. Education, one of the fundamental rights of children, is blocked by war, preventing them from attending school or developing their skills.
In recent years, intensive international efforts have been made to stop the recruitment of children in armed conflicts. Several treaties and agreements have been adopted globally, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which guarantees children’s rights, including the prohibition of child recruitment into armed forces. The signatory countries are urged to protect children from war and to prevent them from participating in it.
Another significant measure is the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, adopted in 2000, which strengthens the ban on child recruitment in armed conflict. It demands that no one under 18 years of age be recruited into armed forces.
The United Nations Mission and human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International document instances of child recruitment by issuing reports that highlight violations by warring parties and pressure them to stop recruiting children.
Several initiatives have been launched in South Sudan by the government, civil society organizations, and international partners like the United Nations and UNICEF. Agreements have been signed with warring factions to try and stop child recruitment and release those already recruited.
However, child recruitment continues in some conflict-affected areas despite these ongoing efforts. Continued conflicts make it difficult to implement agreements, and there is a lack of law enforcement in some regions, allowing recruitment to persist. In some cases, children are recruited due to poverty or the need to survive in conflict zones.
Ending child recruitment in armed conflict is a global responsibility that requires cooperation between governments, international organizations, and civil society. The priority must be to find long-term solutions, including providing education, enhancing psychological support for affected children, and building sustainable peace in conflict-affected regions.
The celebration was attended by military leaders and schoolchildren, who presented theatrical performances reflecting the challenges faced by child soldiers and their families. The children delivered speeches and called on military leaders to stop the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts.
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