23 January 2011 - Nearly one hundred children associated with armed movements were registered in El Fasher, North Darfur, in a voluntary exercise conducted by the state’s Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Commission, UNAMID, UNICEF and the African Charitable Society for Motherhood and Child Care.
 
All of the children are male, between fifteen and eighteen years old. The registration is the first step of the Government’s DDR programme which aims at reintegrating the children into their communities, through social rehabilitation and education opportunities. They will also receive medical examinations and HIV/AIDS counseling.

UNAMID will provide logistical support and technical advice to the Commission and the implementing partners.

This is the first exercise of its kind aimed at children in El Fasher. Similar events have been held in Tora, Malha, Kafod and El Srief in North Darfur. Since July 2009, 1,050 children have been released by different armed movements in Darfur.

Communication and Public Information Division Media Contacts
Kemal Saïki, Director; saiki@un.org; tel.: +249 (0) 92 244 3529; mobile: +249 (0) 92 241 0020

Chris Cycmanick, Officer-in-Charge, Media Relations; cycmanick@un.org, mobile: +249 (0)91 253 8436

Mayada Umbadda, Media Relations; umbadda@un.org, mobile: +249 (0)91 250 1966