United Nations human rights experts have issued an urgent call for measures to protect children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as violence intensifies in the provinces of North and South Kivu.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday, the experts highlighted the “recent upsurge in violence” leading to “indiscriminate attacks against civilians, massacres, and conflict-related sexual violence, in violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.”
Reports from health facilities indicate a surge in rape cases, with “30 percent of those treated for rape being children.” Humanitarian agencies have also reported over 1,100 unaccompanied and separated children in the affected regions. Attacks on hospitals, humanitarian facilities, and civilian infrastructure are further compounding the crisis, with schools being targeted or occupied by armed groups and used as shelters for displaced populations.
“As offensives escalate, more than 700,000 people, 41 percent of whom are school-aged children, have been displaced, and the number of casualties, including among children, is increasing at an alarming rate,” the experts warned. “The majority of cases go unreported, and this may only represent the tip of the iceberg.”
The recruitment and use of children in armed conflict remain a primary concern for the experts, who stressed the devastating consequences, including injury, abduction, death, and sexual violence.
“We are particularly concerned by reports of children who have gone missing, been abducted, or been trafficked and recruited for use in combat by all parties to the conflict,” they stated.
The experts called for “child-friendly measures” such as strengthening early warning and risk prevention systems, developing rigorous age verification methods, granting access to military sites for child protection agencies, and demobilizing recruited children and providing necessary assistance for recovery and reintegration.
“We call on all parties to the conflict, including those directly engaged in hostilities and those holding command positions in armed groups, to put an end to these atrocities and to respect their legal obligations to protect civilians, especially children,” the experts concluded.
ODL/Sf/ac/fss/abj/APA