SUDAN / CHILD SOLDIERS

The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) promises to demobilise all child soldiers by the end of the year. UNMIS

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:37
• Production Date: 31 August 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANCE MISSION IN SUDAN - UNMIS
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL CONDITIONS; POLITICAL MOVEMENTS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY; DISARMAMENT
• Geographic Subject: SUDAN
• MAMS Id: U100831e

Description

STORY: SUDAN / CHILD SOLDIERS
TRT: 1:37
SOURCE: UNMIS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 31 AUGUST 2010 JUBA, SUDAN / FILE

Shotlist

31 AUGUST 2010 JUBA, SUDAN

1 Wide shot, people dancing at Southern Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission HQ
2. Med shot, red flag
3. Close up, young child dancing
4. Wide shot, William Deng, Chairperson of the Southern Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (SSDDRC)and Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) Chief of staff James Hoth
5. SOUNDBITE (English) William Deng, Chairperson of the Southern Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (SSDDRC):
“We make sure that by the end of this year the SPLA is free of child soldier. We make sure that we are working on the program to make sure that the child soldier is reintegrated properly.”

FILE - MARCH 2010, NEW KUSH- EASTERN EQUATORIA (Courtesy of Southern Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission)

6. Wide shot, child soldiers seated
7. Med shot, child soldier
8. Med shot child soldier

31 AUGUST 2010 JUBA, SUDAN

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Oluku Andrew Holt, Child Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Coordinator for the Southern Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (SSDDRC):
“By 2004 we demobilized about eighteen thousand children who were mostly child soldiers and after the CPA was signed we were targeting about two thousand children but later the number increased to about four thousand and this is because of some other armed groups who came later and joined the SPLA and they came with big number of children.”

31 AUGUST 2010 JUBA, SUDAN

10. Wide shot, Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) Chief of staff James Hoth William Deng, (SSDDRC) leaving the HQ
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) Chief of staff James Hoth:
“We are very keen and we are very serious in demobilizing our children and for their future. We have to give them education and we don’t want to use them again in war, since there is no war.”
12. Med shot, staff dancing

Storyline

The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) has promised to demobilise all child soldiers by the end of the year.

The Chairperson of the Southern Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (SSDDRC) William Deng, said that the SPLA will be free of child soldiers by the end of this year.

SOUNDBITE (English) William Deng, Chairperson of the Southern Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (SSDDRC):
“We (will) make sure that by the end of this year the SPLA is free of child soldier(s). We (will) make sure that we are working on the program to make sure that the child soldier is reintegrated properly.”

As part of the agreement, the SPLA agreed to release all children in their ranks by November this year and end the use of children soldiers. With three months until the deadline, an estimated 900 children are still believed to be associated with the SPLA.
An official from the Child DDR, Oluku Andrew Holt acknowledged that before the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, between 2001 and 2004, there were a huge number of child soldiers within the army.

SOUNDBITE (English) Oluku Andrew Holt – Child Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Coordinator for the Southern Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (SSDDRC):
“By 2004 we demobilized about eighteen thousand children who were mostly child soldiers and after the CPA was signed we were targeting about two thousand children but later the number increased to about four thousand and this is because of some other armed groups who came later and joined the SPLA and they came with big number of children.”

Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) Chief of staff James Hoth said the force does not need to recruit child soldiers because the country is not at war.

SOUNDBITE (English) Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) Chief of staff James Hoth:
“We are very keen and we are very serious in demobilizing our children and for their future. We have to give them education and we don’t want to use them again in war, since there is no war.”

The SPLA, the south's former rebel movement, had already agreed with the UN to demobilise child soldiers across southern Sudan.

The south fought against the northern Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), for nearly 21 years. It is estimated that nearly two million people were killed in the conflict and over four million forced to leave their homes. In 2005, the two sides signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).