Sudan, UN sign action plan to protect children in armed conflicts

The Sudanese government and the UN on Sunday signed an action plan to protect children in armed conflicts, as Sudan is involved in battles against rebel groups in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states and Darfur.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in Khartoum that the protection had become imperative because there were around 10,000 children associated with the Sudanese armed forces and armed groups, most of them in Darfur.

It noted that Sudan has been fighting the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector at South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since 2011.

UNICEF said it had also been battling a group of armed movements in the Darfur region since 2003 and making life unbearable for the children.

Mashair Al-Dawalab, Sudan’s Minister of Welfare and Social Security, during the signing ceremony, reiterated the government’s commitment to protect children at the armed conflict zones and prevent their recruitment or exposure to physical or psychological violations.

She said the preparation of this joint Action Plan has taken a long time.

Al-Dawalab said it has taken more than four years to ensure reaching a realistic working plan that would not be just ink on paper.

Ibrahim Ghandour, Sudan’s Foreign Minister said that protection of children was a moral, national and religious responsibility.

He said this was governed by the constitution and the laws of the Sudanese Armed Forces, police and the National Intelligence and Security Service.

Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, commended the plan prepared by the Sudanese government and the UN agencies, describing it as comprehensive.

She said the action plan was a confirmation of Sudan’s willingness and commitment to the international conventions that stipulate ending the exploitation and mistreatment of children at the armed conflict zones.