9,000 child soldiers fighting in South Sudan war, UN says
South Sudanese cattle herders stand among their animals in a field in Terekeka, in the Central Equatoria state of South Sudan, on April 13, 2014. By Ali Ngethi (AFP/File)
Juba (AFP) - Over 9,000 children have been recruited as soldiers in South Sudan's brutal four-month long civil war by both government and rebel forces, the UN's human rights chief said Wednesday.
"More than 9,000 children have been recruited into armed forces by both sides... Children have also been killed during indiscriminate attacks on civilians by both sides," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told reporters.