Even aside from the challenge of demobilizing child soldiers and supporting their reintegration back into society, the situation in Somalia is dire.
Around 7,000 children in Colombia remain enrolled in non-State armed groups and recruitment of children and adolescents continues, despite the increase in the number of people demobilized.
In 2009, about 6,000 children have been demobilized in Eastern DRC at the time of the rapid integration process of armed groups into FARDC (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo).
Since establishing its strategic importance as part of the Colombian Peace and Security policy with the creation of the ACR in 2006, the reintegration program has been characterized by its thoroughness: demobilized paramilitaries and guerrilla members enter the process for an average of seven years, compared to 6-18 months in similar programs elsewhere.
The majority of children demobilized to date – all of whom are boys – are aged between 14 and 18 years old.
Both northern and southern Sudan were meant to demobilize tens of thousands of soldiers in a United Nations-backed disarmament program, but few have even begun the process, leaving many parts of this vast and undeveloped region volatile.
We have demobilized thousands of troops, and the process is continuing.
Throughout eastern DR Congo, UNICEF promotes a comprehensive response to sexual violence and the situation of children demobilized from armed forces or groups.
Radical in its ambition, the plan would amount to sending home as many as 35,000 soldiers in the next three months, though less than 6,000 have been demobilized since the United Nations started the process in October.
The DDR operation in northern Uganda had the first task of disarming and demobilizing the LRA [ 4, 17, 18].
