13 June 2013 - South Sudan was determined to be removed from the UN Secretary-General's list of parties recruiting and using children in armed conflict, a top official in its army said today in Juba.

South Sudan will be marking International Day of the African Child on 16 June. The term "child" refers to anyone under the age of 18 or about 51% of the country's 11.8 million population estimate for 2013, of which only 1.6% are enrolled in secondary education.

Cattle are of vital importance in South Sudan. They symbolize wealth and status and are often the cause of disputes among different groups. According to the South Sudan National Bureau of Statistics, the country's estimated cattle population by the end of 2012 was 11,814,000.