After the failed attempt of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) to topple the regime in Khartoum in May 10th, 2008, government security forces rounded up hundreds of Darfurians including children between the age of 10 and 16. The attached video surfaced recently in the internet (sudaneseonline.com) and showed how brutal these forces are when dealing with children specially after they decalred them prisoners of war.

A few weeks ago when Aljazeera cameraman, Sami Elhaj, was released from Guantanamo Bay detention, the Sudanese official media utilized the occasion to boost government image showcasing the interest of the president and other government official in his case.

A few days ago, Sudan TV, displayed videos and photos of children claiming that they were recruited and exploited by JEM to wage war against the government but nevertheless the government of Sudan, observing the child rights laws and declarations, has made every effort to treat as children, and to extend a helping hand to them.

This video. however, has made it diffcult for others to swallow government claims and officials are now in damage control mode claiming that the video could be fabricated, a claim that many observers consider far-fetched.