More than 300 child soldiers, including 87 girls, have been formally released by armed groups in South Sudan this week, according to the UN Assistance Mission in the country.
UNMISS said in a statement on Wednesday that the release of the 311 young people was the “first phase” of a release project in Yambio in the country’s south-west which will see some 700 children released including 563 from the South Sudan National Liberation Movement and 137 associated with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army In-Opposition.
The total number of girls released under the initiative will be 220. David Shearer, the head of UNMISS, says the figure represents the largest number of females involved in a release like this in South Sudan.
“This is the first time so many young women have been involved in a release like this in South Sudan,” he said. “They will have endured suffering, including sexual abuse. It is vital that they receive the support they need to rejoin their communities and that they are welcomed home by family and friends without any sense of stigma.”
Mr Shearer said he paid “particular credit” to religious leaders who, in the UN lead project, have travelled into conflict zones under UN escort and risked their own lives to bring these children to safety.
