Sudan, UN sign action plan to protect children in armed conflicts

The Sudanese government and the UN on Sunday signed an action plan to protect children in armed conflicts, as Sudan is involved in battles against rebel groups in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states and Darfur.

Sudan has been fighting the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector at South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since 2011.

It has also been battling a group of armed movements in the Darfur region since 2003.

According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), there are around 10,000 children associated with the Sudanese armed forces and armed groups, most of them in Darfur.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Sudan's Minister of Welfare and Social Security Mashair Al-Dawalab reiterated the government commitment to protect children at the armed conflict zones and prevent their recruitment or exposure to physical or psychological violations.

"Preparation of this joint Action Plan has taken a long time that extended for about four years to ensure reaching a realistic working plan that would not be just ink on paper," she noted.

Ibrahim Ghandour, Sudan's Foreign Minister, for his part, said that "protection of children is a moral, national and religious responsibility that is governed by the constitution and the laws of the Sudanese Armed Forces, police and the National Intelligence and Security Service."

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui commended the plan prepared by the Sudanese government and the UN agencies, describing it as "comprehensive."

The action plan is a confirmation of Sudan's willingness and commitment to the international conventions that stipulate ending the exploitation and mistreatment of children at the armed conflict zones, Zerrougui said.

This is a comprehensive plan, and if its approval has taken such a long time, it is another evidence on seriousness and endeavor for improvement, she added. Endit