The ongoing conflict in Sudan led by the RSF and SAF has resulted in significant humanitarian crises, including the recruitment of over 10 million children as soldiers. Various factors, including extreme poverty and coercion, contribute to this alarming trend. Despite international laws against child recruitment, violations continue unabated. Genocide Watch calls for immediate international action to protect children and hold violators accountable.
Since April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have engaged in violent conflict over control of Sudan, resulting in over 60,000 deaths and the displacement of millions. Currently, more than 30 million individuals in Sudan require humanitarian assistance due to this ongoing crisis.
The conflict has severely impacted child protection, with over 10 million children witnessing extreme violence, including the killings of family members and destruction of homes. Reports indicate that more than 200 children, some as young as one year old, have suffered sexual violence. This dire situation exacerbates children’s vulnerability to recruitment by armed groups and criminal gangs.
A child soldier is defined as any person under 18 engaged by an armed faction. Both RSF and SAF have participated in recruiting children, illustrated by videos circulating on social media. Siobhán Mullaly, UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, noted that the RSF specifically targets impoverished and unaccompanied children, with reports indicating that over 600 child soldiers have been killed or injured in recent conflicts.
Various factors contribute to child recruitment, including intimidation tactics used by armed groups and the prevailing extreme poverty in Sudan. In some instances, families perceive militia recruitment as economic survival, with parents sometimes encouraging their children’s enlistment. Recruitment incentives often include aid and stolen food, further complicating the issue.
The UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary slavery has defined these practices as forced labor and contemporary slavery. Local power structures and tribal customs, such as the faza’a tradition, facilitate child engragement into combat scenarios.
The issue of child soldiers is marked by severe psychological and physical consequences, leading to lasting trauma. Child soldiers often face mental health challenges and increased risks of violent behaviors and substance abuse. International law, including various treaties, condemns the recruitment of child soldiers and recognizes it as a war crime, yet violators continue to exploit children.
Despite Sudan being a signatory to significant international agreements prohibiting child recruitment, including the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its own Child Act of 2010, violations persist. The Sudanese government and armed factions remain complicit in these human rights abuses.
Genocide Watch advocates for urgent action, urging the UN Security Council to establish a Commission of Inquiry into the ongoing atrocities in Sudan. Recommendations include ensuring the protection of humanitarian efforts, facilitating the release and reintegration of child soldiers, and developing support programs tailored to the needs of affected children and survivors of violence.
The grave situation surrounding child soldiers in Sudan necessitates immediate and concerted international action. With over 10 million children affected by violence and recruitment, it is imperative for global bodies to engage in protective measures that uphold children’s rights. Legal frameworks exist to prevent such abuses; however, enforcement remains deficient. Until systemic changes are made, children will continue to endure the repercussions of this conflict.
Original Source: www.genocidewatch.com
