Hundreds of child soldiers released in Sierra Leone

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Rebels from Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front have released 424 children, many of whom had fought with the rebels after being abducted, UNICEF said Saturday.

Friday's release brings to 591 the number of children released by the RUF this month. A UNICEF spokeswoman said it demonstrated the rebels' commitment to Sierra Leone's peace process, meant to end the decade-long civil war.

"We are greatly encouraged by the initiative taken by the RUF," said JoAnna Van Gerpen, UNICEF's representative in Sierra Leone.

"Our only regret is that the release of girls has been minimal. As the RUF continues to identify children within its ranks for demobilization, I hope they will ensure that girl combatants and abductees are also released."

Only three of the 424 children released Friday were girls, the agency said.

The development came after weeks of advocacy and negotiations, UNICEF said. The rebels agreed to the release as part of recent agreements with the government.

"This is not the first time we've had success with child soldiers in Sierra Leone," said UNICEF spokesman Alfred Ironside, in New York. "There have been successes in the past. So we're hopeful that most, if not all, of these children can be successfully reunited with their families and communities."

UNICEF said 355 of the children were soldiers, and the other 69 were separated from their families through abduction, displacement, or other effects from the country's civil war.

Van Gerpen said the children will be handed over to a network of child protection agencies which will care for them while their families are traced.

A number of the children have told her they want to go to school, she said. "Their desire to learn and have a normal life -- to be a child again -- is very moving," she said. "Providing access to education can be an important strategy for preventing further conflict and also in promoting reconciliation."

Van Gerpen said basic education is key to bringing about peace in the country.