![Young RSF fighters seen in Khartoum. [Photo courtesy]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/rsf-soldiers-1168x440px.png?resize=1168%2C440&quality=80&ssl=1)
As there was little to do in the village, schools were closed, and working in the markets barely provided a few pounds, Othman decided to go where there were some guarantees in the mobilization camps – meals, juices, learning how to handle weapons, and gaining some military prestige, not to mention some money.
OPTIONS FOR SURVIVAL
The war, starting on April 15, 2023, brought about many changes in the societal structure due to the halt of the state’s economic coppers. It disrupted many systems and economic plans for thousands of families. The war threw many children into the markets, searching for a source of livelihood to support their families. They tried all the available options. In areas outside the control of the Rapid Support Forces, children had different choices. By joining training camps for weapon handling, they are made to believe that they are protecting their families from the invasion of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forming what is known as the “Popular Resistance”.
These steps sparked significant controversy amidst the army’s withdrawals from cities and the call issued by Islamic Movement leader Ali Karty to mobilize the youth to confront the Rapid Support Forces. The mobilization campaign did not spare even the children, despite criminalization campaigns against their recruitment and involvement in combat.
Accusations go as far as claiming that both sides in the Sudanese conflict include forces conscripting children under the age of eighteen.
PROHIBITION OF CHILD RECRUITMENT
According to several sources communicating with Sudans Post in Khartoum State, nearly 1000 children are currently in the rank and file of the RSF in Khartoum State alone. Several SAF videos and photos verified by Sudans Post include children, but the exact number of them is not yet known.
Sudanese human rights lawyer Al-Moez Hadrat stated in a statement to Sudans Post that “Article 136 of International Humanitarian Law, along with several articles and rules in similar international treaties and protocols, prohibits the recruitment and use of children in combat.”
He continued to say that these treaties consider this practice “a war crime that warrants accountability by the International Criminal Court. Accordingly, parties to the conflict recruiting and using children are added by the Secretary-General to the annual list of shame.”
Social researcher Faisal Mohamed said, “UNICEF indicates thousands of children are recruited and used in armed conflicts worldwide, known as ‘child soldiers.’ These children suffer from a wide range of exploitation and abuse, including exposure to sexual violence.” He said that warring parties use children not only as fighters but also as scouts, cooks, carriers, guards, and more. The most accurate term, Faisal said, is “children associated with armed forces and armed groups.”
Faisal said these children must primarily be considered victims of serious violations of child rights, regardless of the reasons for their involvement. He said poverty associated with the conflict has forced some children to join the parties involved in the conflict.
“Whether kidnapped, threatened, or coerced by armed groups, poverty forces others to bring income to the family, and some are associated with these groups for survival or to protect their local communities. Regardless of their reasons, recruiting and using children by armed forces is a serious violation of child rights and international humanitarian law,” he stated.
ACCUSATIONS
Speaking to Sudans Post on Wednesday last week, RSF spokesman Fateh Gurshi acknowledged the criminalization of the use of child soldiers, but he instead accused the army of recruiting children and that his party is innocent.
“Recruiting children and sending them to combat zones is rejected by the text of all international laws. We are aware of the brutality of war, and children cannot be involved in it,” he said. “Recruiting children for war is an inhumane act characterized by Islamic groups worldwide. The Islamic movement in Sudan has provided many examples of recruiting children, as is happening now with the recruitment and involvement of children in the war through mobilizing communities and children unrelated to the war while their sons are in European countries. We have all the evidence regarding the involvement of the Sudanese army in this crime.”
Gurshi when on to suggest that children in the areas of their control are tried to imitate the forces by wearing unofficial uniforms of the group and that some were also following their fathers who are deployed by the RSF.
“The allegations that the Rapid Support Forces recruit children have no factual basis. Some children try to imitate the forces in their areas, wearing makeshift military uniforms and making wooden weapons. Some accompany their fathers or older brothers in the ‘Irtikaazat’,” he said, referring to assembly and outposts for the RSF.
“These children are not officially registered in the forces, and we do not consider them part of the force. They are not involved in the battles between us and the army, which we consider a crime punishable by international law for the protection of children in conflict zones,” he added.
PUBLIC OPINION CASE
International efforts are being made by civil society organizations worldwide to stop the violation of children’s rights. Lawyer Nahed Saeed emphasized the need to advocate for children’s issues and raise public awareness about their involvement in war. Last week, the Swiss Foreign Ministry issued several reports on the use of children in war, confirming that the issue of recruited children remains “serious” despite the efforts made by the international community in recent years to find solutions.
PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS
Regarding to what extent laws can impact the protection of children, international humanitarian law obligates armed forces and armed groups to take measures to protect civilians, including children, from killings, mutilation, abduction, sexual violence, recruitment, and use by armed forces and armed groups, as well as attacks on schools, hospitals, and essential water facilities.
To better monitor and prevent these attacks, the United Nations Security Council condemned six grave violations against children in times of war: killing and maiming children; recruiting or using them in armed forces and armed groups; attacking schools or hospitals; rape or other forms of serious sexual violence; abducting children; and preventing children from accessing humanitarian assistance.
STATISTICS
Globally, between 2005 and 2020, more than 93,000 children were verified to have been recruited and used by conflict parties, although the actual number is believed to be much higher. In 2020, the United Nations verified a total of 26,425 violations against children in conflict situations worldwide, equivalent to 72 violations occurring every day or three violations happening every hour. This also means that for seven consecutive years, there were no less than 20,000 verified violations occurring annually. These cases represent only those verifiable through the monitoring and reporting mechanism led by the United Nations, established in 2005 to systematically document serious violations against children in conflict zones. Undoubtedly, the actual numbers are much higher.
MOBILIZATION CAMPS
Hundreds of children are in the training camps in the northern and eastern states of Sudan. These trainees are expected to take part in upcoming battles, including those expected to rage if RSF attack northern and East states. Their frail bodies are incapable of carrying weapons, and their training lacks experience and knowledge, making them vulnerable to death on the battlefield.
This is confirmed by several eyewitnesses regarding the arrest of a number of children mobilized by the army in the states of Al-Gezira and White Nile. Sudans Post reached out to leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces (directly and through WhatsApp correspondences), including the official spokesperson, seeking clarification and answers regarding the recruitment of children by the conflicting parties, especially within the ranks of the army. However, these efforts were in vain.
