On Friday, UNICEF’s Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Grant Leaity, condemned the heinous acts of violence against children in the DRC. The conflict, as Leaity states, has resulted in one of Africa’s largest displacement crises, with children bearing the brunt of its disastrous impact.
“Violence against children in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached unprecedented levels. There are few worse places, if any, to be a child. The country has the world’s highest number of UN-verified grave violations against children in armed conflict,” says Leaity.
The forms of violence mentioned by Leaity include rape, abduction, murder, and the use of improvised explosive devices against children. He recounted a disturbing meeting with a pair of one-year-old twins at a rehabilitation camp for children freed from armed groups in North Kivu. The infants, severely malnourished, had been strapped to an explosive belt. He also noted a 37% rise in sexual and gender violence cases in North Kivu since 2022.
Leaity has called for financial aid for children in the DRC and appealed to the DRC government, African governments, and regional and international organizations to enhance efforts towards peaceful conflict resolution in eastern DRC.
According to the UN’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the country with the highest number of serious violations against children. The June-released report disclosed at least 3,377 instances of child rights abuses. Save the Children reports that abducted children are often used as frontline soldiers, guards, or spies.
The reemergence of M23, a DRC rebel group, incited rampant violence in the eastern part of the country. which resulted in over 6.1 million internally displaced people. Responding to the DRC government’s request, the International Criminal Court (ICC) opened a preliminary investigation into alleged war crimes in June.
This article was first published on the JURIST – News website.