Darfuri group prohibits child soldiers

Sudan Liberation Army’s Historical Leadership, a faction of the SLA-Abdel Wahid, submits an action plan to the UNAMID

An armed Darfuri group, the Sudan Liberation Army’s Historical Leadership, announced on Wednesday that it would prohibit the use of child soldiers in its army.The SLAHL, a faction of the SLA-Abdel Wahid, submitted an action plan to the UNAMID in this regard in September formally ending the recruitment of child soldiers.

In Darfur, 15 armed groups or armed forces are listed by the UN secretary-general in his most recent annual report on children and armed conflict, as practicing recruitment or use of children.

Usman Musad, the leader of SLAHL, had issued an order to his troops to stop recruiting child soldiers in August. Also prohibited “attacking schools and hospitals and all behavior that leads to abuse and violence against children, including sexual abuse and forced marriage.”

The UNAMID’s child protection unit showed support for the initiative; “Our aim is to assist the parties to the conflict and local communities to claim full ownership of the protection of children in anticipation of UNAMID’s eventual exit from Darfur,” said Boubacar Dieng, chief of the Child Protection Unit. “Ultimately, only the people of Darfur can guarantee effective protection for the children of Darfur.”

Usman Musa was quoted telling the UNAMID that while his group does not systematically recruit children, some had lost their families and sought shelter with his group.

From 2009 to February 2011, the North Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission, with the support of the United Nations, registered 1,041 former child soldiers in Darfur.