Nearly 700 Child Soldiers Freed in South Sudan

Thursday, February 8, 2018

 

The first of 700 child soldiers caught up in the conflict in South Sudan have been released today in a major breakthrough for World Vision’s reunification and reintegration work in the troubled African state.

More than 250 children were officially released from armed forces in Yambio, South Sudan as part of an ambitious international program, to rehabilitate and reunite them with their families.

World Vision’s work, supported by UNICEF, includes psychosocial support to help children recover from the violence they have witnessed or experienced. World Vision will also provide interim care for those children who are unable to locate their families.

Among the children who celebrated their release at an official ceremony on Wednesday, was Lemi Jackson Silvester, who was forced to join opposition forces nearly four years ago.

"They forced me to work with them, if not they’d kill me. If I ran home they’d find me there

I’ve been there for a long time, since 2014," the 17-year-old former child soldier said.

Re-engaging the children with education will also be a core part of the initiative.

"Children will take part in vocational training, return to school or be linked to local trades people for apprenticeship and mentoring. These initiatives will help children have the opportunity to earn income in the future and help the navigate away from returning to the conflict," Mesfin Loha said.

"Among the 250 children released today include 87 girls who worked directly with armed groups in a number of different ways that included active involvement in the conflict, as well as domestic work. We are particularly concerned about a number of the girls being released who have experienced sexual or gender based violence. We will get them the support so they have a sense of hope again," said World Vision South Sudan’s interim national director, Mesfin Loha.

The first of 694 children have been released in Yambio in the country’s southwest, just days ahead of International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day).

While some 19,000 children continue to be used by armed forces and groups more than four years after conflict erupted in the country 2013.

According to UNOCHA, more than 100,000 children have been directly impacted by incidents of recruitment, abuse, exploitation and other grave violations during the conflict in South Sudan that has continued since 2013. Additionally, more than 2 million children have been forced to flee their homes – both as refugees and internally displaced persons – in the four-year conflict.

Audio interviews and photos of the children are available at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/28ncy1bqtzikx0m/AABwFI86mQixIlZMfLI3hKVJa?dl=0

 

For more information or to arrange an interview with Mesfin Loha, please contact:

Mark Nonkes Disaster Communication Consultant World Vision International - East Africa Regional Office

Mark_Nonkes@consultant.wvi.org | +211 925 823 965

Brianna Piazza Emergency Communications Officer, World Vision Australia

brianna.piazza@worldvision.com.au | 0408 624 934

Key statistics:

  • 1 million children require psychological support to recover from the emotional impact of conflict, loss of family members, separation and displacement – UNICEF, 2017
  •  100,000 children have been directly impacted by continued incidents of recruitment, abuse, exploitation and other grave violations since the beginning of the 2013 conflict – UNOCHA, 2017
  •  More than 2 million children have been forced to flee their homes as a result of conflict – UNHCR, 2017
  • One in every two women and girls have experienced a gender based violence incident in the last two months – IOM, 2017

About World Vision:

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

About this project:

World Vision South Sudan is working in partnership with UNICEF, the National Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (NDDRC), and the Ministry of Education, to reunify and reintegrate 629 children associated with armed groups in Yambio, Gbudwe State. The project opens on 07 February 2018.

World Vision is responsible for:

  • Managing, operating and running two interim care centres for unaccompanied / separated children
  • Providing family tracing and reunification services
  • Providing tailored case management, counselling and psychosocial support for child survivors of sexual violence, particularly adolescent girls
  • Providing case management, counselling and psychosocial support by qualified social workers, offered at interim care, as well as through six community-based Child Friendly Spaces linked within existing school sites
  • Supporting social reintegration through enrollment in formal education, medical check-ups, home visits, family counselling and community outreach
  •  Supporting economic reintegration through formal vocational training, engagement in technical trainings and leveraging the private sector to link youths to local markets for informal apprenticeship and mentoring

Media Releases, Africa, Africa, Child Soldiers, Human Rights, Slavery, South Sudan, Tim Costello, World Vision

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