Juba, November 9, 2016 (SSNA) — The United Nations has warned of existing of more than 16,000 children in armed groups operating in the violence-ravaged South Sudan.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned Wednesday after reports of fresh recruitments of at least 800 children by various South Sudanese armed factions in 2016.
UNICEF’s spokesman in South Sudan, Timothy Irwin, says children who are now incorporated in different armed groups in South Sudan are estimated at than16,000.
“We estimate that there are still more than 16,000 children associated with armed groups in South Sudan. We estimate that more than 800 children have been recruited by armed groups in 2016,” Irwin told Xinhua.
South Sudanese armed groups including the government have in the past been accused by humanitarian organizations of recruiting children.
Early last year, the Cobra faction led David Yau Yau released thousands of children and vowed to stop recruiting children.