From there, UNICEF is in charge of what happens to these children.Īs for the South Sudanese children released from their hostage situation on July 23, 2019, UNICEF has enrolled all 32 boys into a three-year integration program. A spokesperson for SPLA, Lul Ruai Koang, publicly stated, “We don’t want child soldiers… We gave their names to UNICEF.” In other words, if there are child soldiers found within SPLA ranks, their information will be given to UNICEF. For the children integrated into government armed forces, their placement there is not condoned by the nation’s army, South Sudan’s People Defense Force (SPLA). Where these abducted children end up is a mixed bag some of these children are taken by armed opposition groups, while some of the child soldiers wind up in South Sudanese government forces. It is not uncommon for young girls to be sold into marriage, as the nation’s civil war has economically damaged many communities. Young boys are typically made into child soldiers, while the abducted young girls are made into child brides. last reported that around 19,000 children have been forced into armed groups across South Sudan. Child abduction across South Sudan has become more frequent due to the nation’s civil war. Recruitment, in this case, means the abduction or sale of children. Of the many atrocities committed within this civil war, the recruitment of children into armed forces is one of them. The devastation from this civil war has resulted in an estimated 400,000 deaths and has caused nearly 2.5 million refugees to flee the country. This resulted in five years of violence against armed forces and unarmed civilians. Supporters for President Salva Kiir were pitted against opposition supporters for Vice President Riek Machar, creating a power struggle over which regime would control the country. South Sudan has been in unrest since December 2013, when a civil war was sparked by conflict between the nation’s president and vice president.
Unfortunately, the abduction of these 32 boys is not an uncommon incident it is a daunting aspect of the South Sudanese civil war.
Since the abduction, these 32 children were forced to witness armed conflicts and even participate as child soldiers. These children were abducted by political opposition groups, with some of the boys abducted as early as 2016.
These children were released to their families and other community members in Leer County, in northern South Sudan. On July 23, 2019, 32 South Sudanese children were released from a hostage situation.