South Sudan Pledges to End Recruitment of Child Soldiers

Former Child Soldier Advocates Against Recruitment of Children in Armed Conflicts

Allan Kudumoch Agon had his childhood stolen when he was forced into combat as a child soldier. Now 21, he is dedicating his life to preventing other children from suffering the same fate.

During an event marking the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers, also known as Red Hand Day, in Juba, Agon shared his painful experience. He recalled how his father was killed during the South Sudanese civil war, which ended in 2020. Left in the care of his elderly grandmother at the age of eight, he was soon taken into the bush, where he and other children were trained for battle.

“Being a child soldier left me with disgust and burdens that may last forever,” Agon said in a report by Anadolu Agency. “My prayer is that no child should ever have to go through this situation.”

Agon was among several speakers at the event, including representatives from the South Sudanese government and the United Nations. The gathering reaffirmed South Sudan’s commitment to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers.

Government’s Commitment to Ending Child Recruitment

Esther Ikere, South Sudan’s Undersecretary at the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, emphasized the government’s efforts to prevent child recruitment and support those who have been released. She highlighted the need to tackle the root causes of child recruitment to ensure lasting change.

“A dark chapter in our history, children who should be in classrooms, playing, and dreaming of their futures have instead been forced to bear the burdens of war,” Ikere said. “They have been robbed of their innocence, their education, and their fundamental rights. We must acknowledge the immense harm this has caused—the physical injuries, the psychological trauma, and the lost opportunities of these young lives.”

Children released from armed groups in South Sudan typically enter a UNICEF three-year reintegration program, which provides them with social workers, healthcare, and psychological support. The program costs approximately $2,000 per child.

During the event, Gen. Ashhab Khamis Fahal, Assistant Chief of South Sudan’s Defense Forces, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting children.

“We have done our part by disseminating information to the lower levels, especially to commanders in charge of the forces, that it is their responsibility to ensure that there is no form of child recruitment among the forces,” Fahal said. “They must make sure that children are not recruited.”

Ongoing Challenges and Disturbing Statistics

Despite these efforts, child recruitment in South Sudan remains a serious concern. A 2024 U.N. report revealed that 152 cases of children being deployed in armed conflicts were recorded in 2023. Of these, 65 children were recruited and used by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces.

The report also highlighted the disproportionate impact on girls, who make up about 12% of recruited children. Many of them face severe sexual and gender-based violence.

One such victim, a young woman named Rose, told UNICEF that she was abducted at the age of 17 from the home she shared with her husband.

“The soldiers had guns and tied my hands with rope,” she recalled. “Around 50 of us were abducted. They gave us things to carry, and then we had to run. If we slowed, they hit us with sticks. I fell once, and they caned me so many times, I nearly died.”

She also recounted facing harassment and abuse from the soldiers.

“Some of them asked me to be their girlfriend and beat me when I said no,” she said. “Then, one of them raped me after I refused.”

Addressing the Root Causes

Aya Warille Benjamin, South Sudan’s Minister of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, noted that many children join armed groups not just due to forced recruitment but also to escape poverty or protect their communities.

“Their role is not limited to fighting,” Benjamin explained. “Many girls and boys are also used in support functions that entail great risk and hardship—from combatants to cooks, spies, messengers, and even sex slaves. No matter their role, children are exposed to acute levels of violence as witnesses, direct victims, and forced participants.”

South Sudanese Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior stressed that the fight against child recruitment requires more than just government policies.

“It takes good people on the streets working every day to make a change,” she said in a U.N. report. “It takes dedicated commitment and hard day-to-day work. We must reach out to protect vulnerable children. It is a responsibility we all share.”

As efforts continue to reintegrate former child soldiers and prevent future recruitment, voices like Agon’s serve as powerful reminders of the lasting impact of war on young lives and the urgent need for action.