DRC : more than 1,800 children were recruited into armed groups in 2023 (UN)

At least 1,861 children, 1,535 boys and 326 girls were recruited and used by different local and foreign armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between January and December 2023. These figures are found in a United Nations Security Council report published in June 2024. It focuses in particular on the evolution of the impact of armed conflicts on children and includes information on the violations committed. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The provinces concerned by this report include North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri in eastern Congo.

Some children were used in combat, others in support roles or as bodyguards or transporters of food and ammunition and as spies, the report said.

“52 children served as fetish guards while 101 others served to carry out unspecified duties.”

The same report also confirms that 67 children, 64 boys and 3 girls “were detained for alleged association with armed groups by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC)” during the same period.

“In 2023, violence against children in armed conflict has reached extreme levels, with a shocking 21% increase in serious violations. Children have been the first victims of the multiplication and worsening of crises, with total disregard for their rights, and in particular their inherent right to life,” say UN investigators.

The United Nations Security Council attributes the loss of life to targeted attacks on civilians, explosive devices, torture and crossfire, some of which occurred during recruitment.

The report also denounces sexual violence perpetrated against children in areas plagued by armed conflict, the perpetrators being both rebels and elements of the regular army.

The Congolese government is called upon to increase efforts to eradicate local and foreign armed groups. Significant logistical support is therefore required for loyalist forces to track down armed groups, according to investigators.

In entities where local militias abound, including those maintained by Congolese authorities and foreign armed groups, children are the most exposed and affected by armed conflicts alongside multiple cases of violations of children’s rights, including their recruitment and use in kidnappings.