Since UNAMID’s inception, the Mission’s Child Protection section has been working directly with armed groups and armed forces in Darfur to eliminate the use of child soldiers. While there is much evidence to indicate a groundswell of change has been steadily gathering momentum to end the use of child soldiers in Darfur, much more work remains to be done.

 

To date, four armed movements listed in the Secretary General’s reports for recruitment and use of child soldiers have taken steps in compliance with United Nations Security Council resolutions: Sudan Liberation Army - Free Will (SLA-FW); Sudan Liberation Army - Mother Wing (SLA-MW); Justice and Equality Movement - Peace Wing (JEM-PW); and Sudan Liberation Army - Historical Leadership (SLA-HL). These movements have established action plans indicating their commitment to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers, have taken measures to prevent further recruitment without hindering access to monitoring teams and have cooperated with Sudan’s Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (SDDRC).

 

SLA-FW formally submitted its action plan to the United Nations in June 2010 and filed a progress report in August 2010, confirming the submission to SDDRC of a list of former child soldiers. SLA-FW submitted its second and final progress reports in February and December 2011 on the implementation of the action plan. Similarly, JEM-PW submitted an action plan in December 2010 and filed a progress report in May 2011 after providing a list of former child soldiers to SDDRC. In October 2011, JEM-PW submitted its final progress report, confirming the registration with SDDRC of child soldiers. In its final report, the movement indicated it would be converting to a political party, and that it had registered with SDDRC all the children associated with it. 

 

 

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