Communiqué on the need to prioritize children at the heart of creating peace and security in Sudan
14 June 2023, Halifax. The Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security (the “Dallaire Institute”) expresses its utmost concern on the security situation and strongly condemns all attacks on the children and families in Sudan.
The Dallaire Institute calls on all parties to ensure the safety of children and unhindered humanitarian access, in accordance with relevant provisions of international law and in line with United Nations guiding principles of humanitarian assistance, including the best interests of the child, impartiality and neutrality. We ask the Government of Sudan, as well as all parties to the negotiation process, to remember their commitments to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Dallaire Institute emphasizes the need for the parties to the conflict to engage in a constructive dialogue that is focused on prioritizing the protection of children from exposure to armed conflict and violence. As an endorser of the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers, the Government of Sudan has a commitment to preventing children from one of the worst forms of human rights abuse and break cycles of generational violence. We call on all the parties to comply with the commitments made to prevent grave violations against children, which includes the prevention of the recruitment and use of children as soldiers, sexual violence, abduction, denial of humanitarian access, the protection of schools and hospitals, and killing and maiming of children.
We express our full support to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace process, facilitated by South Sudan, and other international efforts and/or mechanisms to de-escalate rising tensions and pave the way to restoration of democratic rule in Sudan that is essential for any hope of lasting peace. We stand ready to support such efforts and provide tangible measures to aid the peace process, including confidence building measures that demonstrate a commitment to children as zones of peace. Peace is possible, violence is preventable, and children must be at the heart of the solutions.