Armed groups raided a South Sudanese school and seized 89 children, the United Nations said Saturday. It pointed out that boys were among those taken.
The abduction occurred near Malakal, where thousands of people have taken refuge following months of violence in the nation.
Kidnappers gathered around a community and conducted house-to-house searches, according to the U.N. children’s agency. It said boys over age 12 were taken away by force.
U.N. officials warned the abductors that they’re violating international law.
“The recruitment and use of children by armed forces destroys families and communities,” said Jonathan Veitch, the UNICEF representative in South Sudan.
“Children are exposed to incomprehensible levels of violence, they lose their families and their chance to go to school.”
South Sudan has been embroiled in conflict since December 2013, when President Salva Kiir accused his fired deputy, Riek Machar, of trying to oust him through a coup.
Since then, militia loyal to both have battled each others’ forces. Violence has quickly spread, with reports of mass killings and starvation nationwide.
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