Arm in arm, these child soldiers are free to return home and go to school

Two boys stand at a ceremony to mark their release from an armed group in South Sudan.

Remarkably,聽Ganiko and Jackson are just 12 and 13 years old respectively. They were members of the聽South Sudan National Liberation Movement and among 207 child soldiers set free last week.

国产视频淣o child should ever have to pick up a weapon and fight国产视频� said Mahimbo Mdoe, UNICEF国产视频檚 Representative in South Sudan. 国产视频淔or every child released, today marks the start of a new life.”

The ceremony was held in a rural community called Bakiwiri, about an hour国产视频檚 drive from Yambio in Western Equatoria State.聽The 207 children released –聽112 boys and 95 girls – were given medical checks and will receive聽counselling and psychosocial support as part of their reintegration programme.

Their families will get food assistance, as lack of money is often a reason for children being recruited into armed groups. The freed child soldiers will also get access to schools and聽accelerated learning centres.

The South Sudan National Liberation Movement signed a peace agreement with the government in 2016 and is now integrating its ranks into the national army.

More than 500 child soldiers have been freed this year. But聽there are still about 19,000 children serving in the ranks of armed forces and groups in South Sudan.聽

There are an estimated 250,000 child soldiers in the world today in at least 20 countries.聽A child soldier is not just someone who is involved in fighting. They can also be those in other roles such as cooks, porters, messengers, human shields, spies, suicide bombers or those used for sexual exploitation.