A/HRC/43/56 in Warrap also systematically organized the recruitment and the use of children for the National Security Service and the SSPDF through recruitment drives. In other cases, the commissioners extorted cattle from families who were unable to provide a fighting-age male, leaving them destitute.47 The Commission observed a similar pattern of conduct in Tonj (Warrap), where orders stemming from the SSPDF went down to commanders and local chiefs, who then solicited families to propose at least one family member. If no men were available, boys were sought instead.48 49. In Unity State, boys who had lost or were separated from their parents due to the conflict joined the SSPDF or SPLA-IO (RM) “voluntarily” owing to lack of financial means to support themselves.49 Once they enlisted, however, the boys faced difficulties being released.50 Children received from 30 to 50 lashes for failure to follow orders. 51 50. Despite their traumatic experiences, all child conscripts interviewed by the Commission who had escaped demonstrated resilience, with most emphasizing the desire to continue their education.52 One boy expressed his hope of becoming a doctor in order to alleviate “the suffering of my people” who, in his view, were made to travel long distances for adequate medical treatment.53 Another boy hoped to become a lawyer one day, to “give people their rights”.54 51. In addition, a youth bulge compounded by rampant unemployment coupled with lack of access to education continued to fuel violent crime and instability. During the period under review, the unemployment rate for boys and men aged 15 to 24 years remained close to 20 per cent.55 Some 2.2 million children did not attend school, while 30 per cent of schools countrywide remained damaged, destroyed, occupied or closed as a result of conflict.56 Although the number of functioning schools has increased substantially since independence in 2011, young people in Aweil (Bahr el Ghazal), for example, cited lack of access to employment and education as a key factor for engaging in criminal activity. 57 As one youth told the Commission, “Owning a gun is beneficial because it can make a youth valuable when he might otherwise be idle.”58 1. Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration 52. The fact that at least 19,000 children are said to be associated with government forces and armed groups in South Sudan highlights a serious deficiency in the implementation of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process. On 31 January and 21 February 2019, 40 children, including two as young as 8 years of age, were released by the SSPDF in Tonj North (Warrap).59 The Commission received information about SSPDF Division 3 releasing 14 children from Aguok, Kuac West and Kuac East in June 2019. 60 In July, the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 Confidential interviews corroborated a systematic effort by government forces to recruit children in Warrap State; ERN 103200 – 103204. ERN 102837 – 102841. ERN 103320 – 03323; ERN 103315 – 103319. ERN 103315 – 103319. ERN 103315 – 103319. ERN 103205 – 103209; ERN 102530 – 102535; ERN 103200 – 103204. ERN 103200 – 103204. ERN 102530 – 102535. See https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.1524.ZS?locations=SS. See www.unicef.org/southsudan/media/1831/file/UNICEF-South-Sudan-Education-Briefing-NoteMar-2019.pdf. Emmanuel Kele, “Aweil youth say unemployment makes them engage in criminality”, UNMISS, 7 May 2019. ERN 103445 – 103448. ERN D120808 – D120810. ERN 103364 – 103370. 13