Report on the Advocacy Mission to assess the situation of children in South Sudan
recruit them. The communities are reluctant to report for fear of
reprisal and at times also feel compelled to support the groups that
are recruiting the children. The children at times join the militia due
to boredom and idleness as they don’t attend schools and some may
have no caregivers to guide them.
15. These have been done despite the commitment made to the UN
Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for
Children and Armed Conflict on Children in Armed Conflict in June
2014 by the Government of South Sudan and associated forces and
also the commitment made in Addis Ababa to desist from mobilizing
child soldiers, and to demobilize those already affected.
16. The Committee, however, appreciates the fact that a Work Plan has
recently been endorsed for the implementation of the recommitment
agreement to end grave violations of children’s rights in South
Sudan. The objective of the Work Plan, which was endorsed on 26
August 2014, is to end grave violations of children’s rights in South
Sudan in particular to end recruitment and use of children by armed
forces, killing and maiming of children, sexual violence and the use
of schools for military purposes by end of July 2015. The Committee
appreciates the Government of South Sudan, the Child Protection
Unit in SPLA and Child Protection Unit in the UNMISS to come up
11