The U.S. has called on a Sudanese rebel group to stop recruiting soldiers, including children, from a refugee camp in South Sudan. A U.S. official says the camp must be moved further from the border to protect civilians from the military presence.
Anne Richard, the assistant secretary of state for population, refugees, and migration, says the U.S has told the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) to leave Yida refugee camp in South Sudan's Unity state, and to stop recruiting civilians to fight the Sudanese government.
"Our messages to them are really about the civilian nature of the camp, and we have asked them to not use the camp, which is supposed to be civilian, as a center for R&R or for recruitment of soldiers, and especially we've asked that they not take children to serve as soldiers on the other side of the border," she said.
Richard said that the U.S delegation visiting Yida on Monday saw how militarized the camp of more than 60,000 people had become, despite a reported drop in recruitment recently. |