CENTRAL EQUATORIA — Too often, children are recruited into conflicts they were never meant to be part of.
Underage recruitment is one of six grave violations against children that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and local partners work tirelessly to combat. It defies existing laws — and robs the most vulnerable of the childhoods every one of them deserves.
These childhoods are now a reality for children recently released from armed forces in Yambio (UNMISS and partners support the release of children recruited into armed forces) and Malakal (From fear to freedom: Abducted children reunited with family are fostering a future not shaped by the past), following joint initiatives by UN Peacekeeping mission and partners. Yet not every process unfolds the same way; some contexts present greater challenges than others.
"One of the biggest challenges are the many moving parts in these contexts. From authorities granting access, and partner availability to issues posed by active conflict. Planning predictability is usually not a luxury available to us," explains Phoebe Murungi, a Child Protection Officer at UNMISS.
Her words are echoed by national counterparts working on the same frontlines.
"While the law is clear, the reality on the ground is often more abstract. According to our constitution, military directives and related parliamentary Acts, no one below the age of 18 should be recruited into armed conflict,” explains Oluku Andrew Holt, the National Coordinator for the Release of Children, with South Sudan’s Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Commission. “So, we need to make everyone understand that investing in our children is a crucial step towards peace. This is not an easy task.”
Such understanding is built through awareness-raising and education initiatives that are just as critical as verification and identification missions to identify potential child soldiers. Every access granted to military ranks and barracks holds the potential to save a child, even if results are not always immediate.
Processes like these take not only patience but also collective effort. For every child released, there are dozens of individuals from UNMISS, UNICEF, SDDRC, and government authorities working tirelessly behind the scenes to make it possible.
But as long as children continue to bear the brunt of conflict, giving up is not an option.
“Even if there is just one child we manage to identify and save, seeing them reclaiming their futures with bright and confident smiles is worth all the effort,” emphasizes Ms. Murungi upon return from yet another step towards a more peaceful South Sudan for everyone.
By Jaella Brockmann
