Around 3,000 Child Soldiers Released In South Sudan

Two hundred and eighty children were released yesterday (27 Jan) at the village of Gumuruk in Jonglei State. The remaining children will be released within a month.

Recruited by the South Sudan Democratic Army (SSDA) Cobra Faction, led by David Yau Yau, the children's age ranged from eleven to seventeen years old. Some have been fighting for up to four years and never attended school.

In the last year, 12,000 children, mostly boys, have been recruited and used as soldiers by armed forces and groups in South Sudan.

Talking to United Nations Radio Miraya this morning, David Yau Yau said that the children were not recruited by force, they joined willingly.

SOUNDBITE: (English) David Yau Yau, military leader South Sudan Democratic Army:
"No we did not recruit them by force, it was their own will that allowed them to enter into the services of the military, it was their own choice."

The children released are being supported with basic health care and protection services and necessities such as food, water and clothing to help them get ready to return to their families. Counseling and other psychological support are being established. The children will soon have access to education and skills training program, said UNICEF.

SOUNDBITE: (English) David Yau Yau, military leader, South Sudan Democratic Army:
"If we really don't handle them properly with their minds to do with military it is going to cause another problem if they are not careful. The best way is to provide them with they go to school they are treated in the way that human requires so that tomorrow we may use them."

12-year-old David (name changed to protect identity) is among the children recruited by the Cobra Faction.

SOUNDBITE (Murle) David (not his real name), 12-year-old:
"I don't want to be a soldier. I will end up with nothing by being a soldier and I know one day I'll get killed if I continue being a soldier. First, I want to go to school, then later I want to study medicine"

The children surrendered their weapons and uniforms in a ceremony overseen by the South Sudan National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission, the Cobra faction and UNICEF.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Jonathan Veitch, UNICEF South Sudan Representative:
"Their biggest desire is education and they have all told us that. They have never been to school and they need some support to learn. So that will be the first thing, we also try to treat them, not only their health but also their mental health depending on the things that they have seen or done during this terrible conflict and then we need to give them opportunities so we will be looking at vocational educational and try to give them training may be in carpentry and other skills so eventually they can find a job and be useful members of the community. "

The South Sudan Democratic Army (SSDA), whose activities were in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), struck an agreement with government last year, leading to creation of GPAA led by former leader, David Yau Yau.

UNICEF estimates the costs for the release and reintegration of each child is approximately $2,300 for 24 months. So far UNICEF has received EUR 1.6 million from IKEA Foundation and is appealing for additional $10 million in support of the program.