31 October 2013 – Seeking to end the use and recruitment of children in the South Sudanese army, UNMISS completed a two-day training today for members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in Akobo, Jonglei State.

Attended by 60 SPLA commanding officers, the activity organized by the mission’s Child Protection Unit mainly focused on the UN-SPLA Revised Action Plan to end recruitment and use of children.

The training was carried out in close collaboration with the SPLA Child Protection Unit and South Sudan Demobilization and Reintegration Office in Jonglei.

In July 2011 resolution, the UN Security Council called on the South Sudanese government and SPLA to renew the Action Plan signed by the UN and SPLA in November 2009 to end recruitment and use of children.

The training mainly aimed to sensitize various SPLA ranks about violations of child rights, according to UNMISS Child Protection team leader Ephraim Abwe Diabe.

“The SPLA Judge Advocate is here to let everybody know that ignorance of the law is not an excuse and anybody who goes ahead using and recruiting children is going to answer to the high SPLA command,” he said.

Training topics included the UN-SPLA revised action plan, role of SPLA and stakeholders in implementing the plan, legal framework for child protection in Jonglei, SPLA and human rights, and potential grave violations to children.

Closing the workshop, SPLA Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Kuony Mut, commander of SPLA forces in Akobo, called the “timely and informative” training one of the most important his unit had received so far.

In addition to the child protection training, UNMISS Communications and Public Information Officer Haile Gebrekrstos spoke to participants about the role of the mission in the areas of peace, stability and protection of civilians.

He reminded the gathering that the South Sudanese government and SPLA were primarily responsible for protecting civilians and that UNMISS was in the country to assist.

UNMISS HIV/AIDS Unit spoke about awareness of the disease and conducted free and voluntary checkups and counseling for all participants.

UNMISS Child Protection said a similar training would be organized in Pibor from 12 to 14 November. Last year, the unit trained over 50 officers in Paniar SPLA training center near Bor.