A/HRC/9/3
page 9
South Sudan
23. The Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan committed to
allow the United Nations Mission in the Sudan and UNICEF access to the military barracks of
the Sudan Armed Forces, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and allied armed forces and
groups to monitor and verify compliance, adopt and implement national legislation to criminalize
the recruitment of child soldiers, allocate adequate resources for the reintegration of children
associated with the armed forces, establish a task force to address sexual violence against
children and ensure the safety and protection of humanitarian personnel. According to the most
recent information received, the Government of National Unity has undertaken a number of
important initiatives at the national, regional and local levels, in partnership with the
United Nations, to improve child protection and address abuses against children. They include
revising applicable legislation with a view to prohibiting and criminalizing the recruitment and
use of children by armed forces and groups; training its military and security personnel; creating
dedicated mechanisms within the administration, the army, the police forces and the judiciary to
deal with child protection and to address sexual and gender-based violence; and taking action
through its ceasefire institutions, to address child recruitment by the Sudan People’s Liberation
Army, the Sudan Armed Forces and any armed group under their control and/or aligned with
them, and to foster the release of children.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
24. The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo committed to take measures to
tackle the issues of child recruitment and sexual violence against children and to fight impunity
of armed groups, such as non-integrated brigades of the Forces Armées de la République
Démocratique du Congo loyal to Laurent Nkunda and the Forces démocratiques de libération du
Rwanda (FDLR). According to recent information, the authorities of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo have carried out several arrests and conducted trials of perpetrators of recruitment and
rape of children in its national courts. In conjunction with the progress made in the
implementation of the national disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme for
children, thousands of children have been separated from armed forces and groups and
reintegrated into their communities. However, there has been little or no progress with regard to
the forces led by Laurent Nkunda and FDLR. Laurent Nkunda and troops loyal to him continue
to recruit and re-recruit children.
25. The President, Pierre Nkurunziza, and senior ministers of the Government of Burundi
agreed to continue the Government’s efforts to address children’s rights and protection in the
peace consolidation phase, particularly to ensure that the release and reintegration of all children
associated with armed groups, whether those remaining in detention or in Palipehutu-Forces
nationales de libération (FNL) ranks, are made a priority. The Government also committed to
continue the fight against impunity for perpetrators of sexual violence, especially against
children. According to the most recent information received, progress has been made with the
release of children arrested for association with FNL in 2007. In April 2008, following requests
by representatives of alleged dissidents of Palipehutu-FNL, government representatives
mandated by President Nkurunziza identified and separated more than 200 children from the
Randa and Buramata camps to the Gitega demobilization centre.
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents