Congolese Teen Appeals to U.N. for Protection

In Summary

• A 16-year-old Congolese boy, whose identity was protected, appealed to the U.N. Security Council to protect children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• The U.N. verified nearly 4,000 violations against children in the DRC last year, including the recruitment of over 1,800 children by armed groups and the deaths or maiming of more than 650 children.
• The boy recounted his abduction, forced recruitment, and experiences of violence at the hands of an armed group, underscoring the dire situation faced by many children.
• Sexual violence against children and women is rampant, with 279 girls and two boys subjected to such violence last year. The U.N. noted an alarming increase in the use of sexual violence by armed groups.
• The conflict in the DRC is intensifying, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis as the U.N. peacekeeping mission begins to withdraw at the government's request.

DETAILS

NewYork- A 16-year-old Congolese boy made an emotional appeal to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, urging them to protect children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where ongoing conflicts between the military and armed groups in the country's east are wreaking havoc on young lives.

"Please defend children's rights in the DRC and internationally," the boy, whose identity was protected, implored through an interpreter during a meeting focused on children and armed conflict.

According to the United Nations, nearly 4,000 grave violations against children were verified in the DRC last year. Armed groups, competing with the military for control over the country's abundant natural resources, have recruited over 1,800 children, with more than 650 children killed or maimed. Three armed groups—CODECO, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), and M23—were responsible for the majority of these casualties, though 30 child casualties were attributed to the Congolese armed forces and police.

The boy shared his harrowing experience of being abducted, beaten, and forcibly recruited by an armed group while on his way to school. "We cried and begged to go home, but they wouldn't listen. They whipped us and kept us in the bush, guarded and ordered to be killed if we tried to flee," he recounted. His forced role was to steal food from farmers, constantly exposed to violence from both the enemy and his own group. After three years, he managed to escape, was taken into custody by the army, and eventually went through a demobilization rehabilitation program. Now back in school, he considers himself one of the fortunate few.

The situation for girls is equally dire. "Girls were also abducted and forced into marriages with chiefs or taken by soldiers," the boy said.

Sexual violence in the DRC is spiraling, with the U.N. documenting 279 girls and two boys subjected to rape, gang rape, forced marriage, and sexual slavery last year. "The use of sexual violence by armed groups is increasing alarmingly," said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF deputy executive director, to the council. Chaiban expressed deep concern over the intensifying conflict coinciding with the withdrawal of the U.N. peacekeeping mission, potentially escalating the humanitarian crisis.

Women in the DRC are also enduring staggering rates of sexual violence. In Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, reported cases of sexual violence doubled in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year, increasing from 7,500 to 15,000 cases. Francois Moreillon, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross's delegation in the DRC, described the dire situation: "Anyone with a gun feels empowered to do whatever they want."

Moreillon shared a disturbing account of women carrying condoms while collecting firewood in hopes of persuading their attackers to use them to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and mitigate their husbands' anger, who often abandon them after learning of the rape.

The DRC is grappling with one of the world's largest internal displacement crises, affecting more than 7 million people. As the conflict escalates and the humanitarian situation worsens, urgent action is needed to protect the vulnerable, especially the children who continue to bear the brunt of this prolonged conflict.