South Sudan military still recruiting boys as soldiers, says Human Rights Watch
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Human Rights Watch says South Sudan's military is actively recruiting boys into the armed forces despite assurances to the contrary.
The rights watchdog said in a statement Monday that boys as young as 13 have been recruited as soldiers, often by force, in South Sudan's oil-producing state of Upper Nile.
Kuol Manyang Juuk, South Sudan's defense minister, denied the allegations, saying standing orders forbid the army from recruiting children.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}South Sudan's warring factions have faced persistent allegations of using child soldiers in a conflict that pits government troops against rebel forces loyal to a former vice president.
Human Rights Watch said it had spoken to about a dozen children or young men who were under 18 when they fought in 2014.