The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) in Jonglei state’s Nyirol County said it has handed over eight underage boys to the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for family reunification.
The handover took place Wednesday in Lankien town, according to local SPLM-IO officials.
The eight were among 24 youths who had earlier fled a South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) training base in Gelachiel, Baliet County, Upper Nile state, and later presented themselves to SPLM-IO authorities in Nyirol weeks ago.
Peter Gatkuoth Koang, the SPLM-IO–appointed county commissioner for Nyirol, told Radio Tamazuj that UNMISS verified the ages of the youths before the transfer.
“On Wednesday, I handed over eight children to the UNMISS Child Protection Unit after their ages were verified,” Koang said. “The remaining 16 were found to be above 18 years old and therefore did not qualify for evacuation.”
Lt. Col. Khor Nyang Mabor, spokesperson for SPLA-IO Sector 3, welcomed the development, saying UNMISS child protection officers had been in Nyirol for several days collecting data on the youths.
“They were handed over to UNMISS on Wednesday and have arrived in Bor,” he said. “They are now under the care of UNMISS and will be reunited with their parents.”
Mabor added that coordination with the United Nations was ongoing to facilitate assistance for the remaining individuals.
SSPDF Spokesman Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang could not immediately be reached for comment.
Civil society activist Ter Manyang Gatwech praised the handover while condemning the recruitment of minors.
“The handover is a welcome move,” he said. “Forced recruitment is unconstitutional. Any recruitment process should be transparent and in line with the SSPDF Act of 2008.”
South Sudan’s laws and international obligations clearly prohibit forced recruitment into the military and the recruitment of anyone under 18, especially into armed groups.
The forced recruitment campaign by the army began following clashes in March between the White Army and the national army in Nasir and Ulang counties in Upper Nile State. Fighting in Nasir led to the temporary capture of an army base by the White Army and the deaths of dozens of soldiers, including the base commander, General David Majur Dak. Following the incidents in Nasir and Ulang, violence spread to other parts of Upper Nile State.