Sudan rebels to demobilize child soldiers

The main rebel movement in Southern Sudan has reiterated its commitment to demobilize all child soldiers in its ranks.

The Sudan Peoples Liberation Army, the SPLA, assured the head of the UN children's Organisation, Carole Bellamy, that they would demobilize everyone under the age of eighteen and all SPLA commanders would follow instructions not to recruit anyone under that age.

There are estimated to be about nine thousand child soldiers in Southern Sudan.

Miss Bellamy is in Sudan at the start of a national polio vaccination campaign.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service