United Nations Children Fund or UNICEF and UN Mission in South Sudan or UNMISS during the launch of ‘Children Not Soldiers’ campaign in Juba on Wednesday called for an end to recruitment of children into armies in the country.
United Nations Children Fund or UNICEF representative Jonathan Veitch warned that using children in war has a devastating impact on their lives.
He revealed that many children were recruited by the national army and SPLM in opposition and that they were forced to see and do things that they should not do.
United Nations Mission in South Sudan Gen Yohannes Tesfamasiam who spoke on behalf of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict called on every South Sudanese to know that children have the right to be protected, especially in times of war.
He said the Secretary-General is looking forward to seeing children released and go back to their families and join school, hoping that those involved in child recruitment into army would be held accountable.
National Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare official Regina Ossa Zullo said when children grow up in the army; they learn what they see and when they grow up in an abusive family, they become abusive not only to their families but to the entire nation.
The national Transitional Constitution says every child has the right not to be subjected to exploitive practices or abused and not required to serve in army.