Government and rebel forces in South Sudan stand accused of recruiting and using child soldiers in combat, despite renewed promises from both sides.
Human Rights Watch says that children as young as 13 are being given weapons and little or no training before being forced into conflict.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The report has been dismissed by government officials, who say they have no need to recruit underage fighters. "How can we recruit child soldiers at a time when we have sufficient manpower?" said Minister for Information Michael Makuei."We have no child soldiers."
In Sudan it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to join the army, and the use of children under the age of 15 is considered a war crime under international law.
Despite this, more than 12,000 children, the majority of them boys, have been recruited and used as soldiers by the army and various militia in the last year alone, reports Al Jazeera. Since January, Unicef says it has negotiated the release of 300 child soldiers from one rebel group, but many more are still fighting.
The conflict in South Sudan began in 2013 when President Salva Kiir's forces clashed with rebel soldiers loyal to the ousted vice president Riek Machar. What began as a political power struggle soon divided along ethnic lines, with the Dinka and the Nuer communities effectively at war.
"South Sudanese children's lives are being devastated by conflict, with children once again going to war instead of to school," Bekele said. "Both sides should stop recruiting children, and hold those responsible to account."
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
-
Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
