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UN PhotoSOUTH SUDAN / CHILD SOLDIERS RELEASE
STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / CHILD SOLDIERS RELEASE
TRT: 03:38
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ARABIC / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 16 OCTOBER 2025, YAMBIO, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Various shots, children’s release from South Sudan Defense Force
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Brig. Akech Maker, Brigade 16 Commander, Yambio, Western Equatoria, South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF):
“We in the SSPDF will not allow the recruitment of children into the army. If a child shows interest, we will guide them towards education instead. I urge institutions to support these children fully, so they do not return to barracks.”
4. Various shots, verification of children from South Sudan Defense Force
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Hellen Ernasio, Chairperson DDR, Western Equatoria:
“We shall continue monitoring to see that they are not there so that our army is clean from that list of shame that came upon them because of recruiting children and other violations against child rights.”
6. Various shots, children’s release from South Sudan Defense Force
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Clement Gbatanawo, Yambio, Western Equatoria, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
“We are going to provide psychosocial support to these children in the transit center that is at CTC, and we will also assess their needs in terms of skills or what they would like to go for, formal learning, or skills training.”
9. Various shots, release of children from the South Sudan Defense Force
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rita Bampo, Child Protection Officer, Yambio Field Office, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“UNMISS will continue to monitor and ensure this reintegration process is successful, and then these children are in the society and there is no power to pull them back into the armed group or any armed force. And we are urging all parties to the conflict, the commanders out there, to ensure that any child within their command is released to the respective organization or entity.”
11. Wide Short, local communities dancing
According to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), some children have just been released from the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), in a step that highlights the country’s efforts to end child recruitment.
The official handover ceremony that is unfolding, with UNMISS support, represents a profound transition and opportunity for a new life.
Brig. Akech Maker, SSPDF Brigade 16 Commander in Yambio, Western Equatoria, said “We, in the SSPDF, will not allow the recruitment of children into the army. If a child shows interest, we will guide them towards education instead. I urge institutions to support these children fully, so they do not return to barracks.”
Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration officials are conducting the registration and verification processes required to facilitate their transition back to civilian life.
They stress the importance of continuous monitoring and care.
Hellen Ernasio, Chairperson DDR in Western Equatoria, said, “We shall continue monitoring to see that they are not there so that our army is clean from that list of shame that came upon them because of recruiting children and other violations against child rights.”
At a temporary haven, social workers and UNICEF staff provide comprehensive psychosocial support, learning materials, and personalized guidance tailored to each child’s unique needs.
Clement Gbatanawo, from UNICEF office in Yambio, said, “We are going to provide psychosocial support to these children in the transit center that is at CTC, and we will also assess their needs in terms of skills or what they would like to go for, formal learning, or skills training.”
These children are rediscovering the pleasures of childhood, dreaming of returning to school, and reuniting with their families.
Rita Bampo, UNMISS Child Protection Officer, Yambio Field Office, said, “UNMISS will continue to monitor and ensure this reintegration process is successful, and then these children are in society, and there is no power to pull them back into the armed group or any armed force. We are urging all parties to the conflict, the commanders out there, to ensure that any child within their command is released to the respective organization or entity.”
As their military chapter concludes, ahead lies a path filled with hope, education, and the life these children truly deserve.
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