Search
  1. Home
  2. IRIN Blog

DRC child recruitment a "tragic consequence" of war

[Pakistan] UNICEF Executive Director, Ann Veneman in Muzaffarabad on Sunday. Her visit was to draw further attention to the plight of children following the devastating quake on 8 October in the region. [Date picture taken: 10/30/2005] David Swanson/IRIN
UNICEF Executive Director, Ann Veneman (l) in this file photo
    NAIROBI

    More children have been used and recruited by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) than anywhere else in the world, according to the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF.



    Describing the use and recruitment of children as another tragic consequence of conflict, the agency said an estimated 33,000 boys and girls had been involved since 1998.



    "A 14-year-old boy whose name translated from Swahili to Innocent, told me he was forced to commit acts of sexual violence against women," UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said after a recent visit to a rehabilitation centre for former child soldiers in eastern DRC.



    "Another still believed that he was invincible against bullets, a common belief among the Mayi-Mayi traditional armed groups in eastern and central DRC."



    Since the beginning of the year, UNICEF has facilitated the release of 2,813 children, including 360 girls, from groups that use them as soldiers, sexual slaves or labourers.



    eo/mw

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join