There are as many as 6,000 child soldiers, some as young as 11 years old, in the war-torn region of Darfur, the head of UNICEF in Sudan says.
Ted Chaiban said some children were linked to rebel movements, others to government-backed militia and some were fighting alongside the Sudanese army.
It is illegal under Sudanese and international law to have soldiers under the age of 18, he added.
The UN is trying to convince armed groups to release the children.
