The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) welcomes the renewed Command Order issued by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) on 30 September 2015, prohibiting the recruitment and use of children in its ranks.The Order instructs all members of JEM to adhere to the international norms and standards governing the protection of children and observe all the provisions of UN Security Council resolutions on children in armed conflict.

In the order, JEM leadership calls upon its field commanders to extensively disseminate the document. The recruitment and use of children is considered a serious crime under international law and the Sudan Child Act of 2010.

The Command Order comes after a meeting the movement, together with Sudan Liberation Movement /Abdul Wahid and Sudan Liberation Movement /Minni Minawi, had with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict in Austria on 27 and 28 May 2015. As an outcome, these Darfuri armed movements issued a Joint Statement in which they commit to continue to take all necessary steps to protect children.

“This is a significant step towards phasing out this negative phenomenon in the Darfur conflict. UNAMID shall continue to engage all parties to the conflict for an end to all forms of violations against children,” UNAMID’s Acting Joint Special Representative (AJSR), Ambassador Abiodun Bashua, reiterated