One of the largest armed movements in Darfur has recently banned the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
JEM, the Justice and Equality Movement, issued an official Command Order telling field commanders that the Movement fully adheres to the international and local laws governing the protection of children in armed conflict, UNAMID, the peace mission in Darfur, said.The order follows consultation held in July in Austria between JEM and UNAMID.
JEM agreed to establish an operational mechanism to identify children, who are associated with its forces, for demobilization and reintegration.
JEM is among seven armed movements in Darfur, including the Sudan Liberation Army / Abdul Wahid, to have taken such significant steps.
In July, the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), a signatory along with the Government of Sudan of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, issued a similar order.
Between 2009 and 2012, the Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission, with the support of the UN registered more than 1,000 former soldiers in Darfur.