The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday said there are still over 16,000 South Sudanese children involved in active combat among the various armed groups in the country.
In an interview with Xinhua, UNICEF South Sudan spokesman Timothy Irwin said that more than 800 children have been recruited by armed groups in 2016.
“We estimate that there are still more than 16,000 children associated with armed groups in South Sudan. We estimate that more than 800 children have been recruited by armed groups in 2016,” he said.
South Sudan has been ravaged by civil war that broke out in December 2013 following President Salva Kiir’s claim that his then vice president Riek Machar was plotting to overthrow his government.
Machar refuted the accusations but went on to mobilize a rebel force to fight Kiir’s government.
A UN-backed peace deal was signed last year between the warring factions but it was continually violated by both parties.
Having returned to Juba in March to take up the position of first vice president in the peace deal, Machar fled once again in July after his forces clashed with those loyal to Kiir.
Kiir then replaced Machar with Taban Deng as first vice president.
