Are there still child soldiers in Congo?

Are there still child soldiers in Congo?

In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, children as young as six are routinely recruited by militias and taught to kill. It is estimated that 8- to 16-year-old-children make up 60% of combatants in the region.

What was the children’s army in Congo?

During the first and second civil conflicts which took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), all sides involved in the war actively recruited or conscripted child soldiers, known locally as Kadogos which is a Swahili term meaning “little ones”.

What is the DRC doing about child soldiers?

The report said Congo had increased trafficking probes and prosecutions, and undertaken measures to prevent the use of child soldiers – by removing them from armed groups and securing pledges from militia commanders to renounce child recruitment.

What countries had reports of child soldiers?

In conflict-affected countries such as Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, violence has had devastating humanitarian consequences for children and communities, with the pandemic exacerbating the situation, said the U.N.

How many child soldiers are in the Congo?

There is no precise data on the number of children being used as soldiers in the DRC. UNICEF and its partners estimate that, in the Kasaï region alone, between 5,000 and 10,000 children have been associated with the militias.

How many child soldiers are there in Congo?

Why are child soldiers used in Congo?

Congolese children are the primary victims of war because they are consistently recruited by armed groups and the Congolese army, in some cases by force, to participate as fighters, porters and escorts (Human Rights Watch, 2016).

Are there child soldiers in the world?

9 Child soldiers global report 2008 summary. The recruitment and use of children by non-state armed groups r t t l ir. The vast majority of child soldiers are in the ranks of non-state armed groups. Dozens of armed groups in at least 24 countries have recruited under-18s and many have used them in hostilities.

What happens to child soldiers in the DRC?

In the DRC and Myanmar child soldiers have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment for desertion from the armed forces. In the DRC several children convicted of military offences remained in prison under sentence of death. The trend towards a “straight-18” standard for military recruitment

What has happened to the global movement to stop child soldiers?

Four years is sufficient for substantial developments in the life of a global movement. The last Global Report was published by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers (Coalition) in November 2004; since then the movement to end the use of child soldiers has seen continued progress towards a universal consensus against their use in hosti…

Is the number of child soldiers increasing or decreasing?

It is likely that the number of child soldiers is fewer than in 2004 when the Coalition published its last Child Soldiers Global Report.