Rights Group: Congo Militia Recruit Child Witch Doctors

One of the least known tragedies of the conflict in eastern Congo is the extensive use of children in the war. From fighters to sex slaves, thousands of children have been forced into a life they did not ask because a local militia was spreading it’s power. The crimes committed against these children are often times irreparable. To make matters worse, the national army and the UN peacekeeping force in Congo have done very little to confront those responsible for committing this particular war crime.

Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers Report Brings To Light Reality of Child Forced to Serve in the War

A report released yesterday by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers brings to light the reality of what child soldiers in Congo face:

The Coalition’s new briefing details surges in recruitment of under-18s by Mai Mai that coincide with escalations in hostilities, failed peace deals, flawed army integration processes and renewed outbreaks of violence. Chronic insecurity means that armed violence, or the threat of it, is ever present in the lives of children in eastern Congo. In the words of one former child soldier interviewed by the Coalition: “If the attacks start again, we’d have to join to defend ourselves. Otherwise we’ll die or be exterminated.”

Insecurity is seen to justify the existence of local militias but the vulnerability of children is also entrenched in socio-economic conditions. The lives of many children in the conflict-affected areas are additionally blighted by poverty, lack of access to education and few economic opportunities. While forced recruitment by Mai Mai is not uncommon, for some children, joining with a Mai Mai group is seen as a way out of poverty or just another job.

“Programs that focus only on releasing and returning these children to their communities miss the point” said Dr Forbes Adam. “Reducing vulnerability of boys and girls to Mai Mai exploitation means fundamentally changing children’s life chances and providing them with a genuine alternative to joining militias.”

The imperative of protecting children from involvement with Mai Mai is underscored by the range of abuses that they experience when in the ranks. Children have been sent into frontline combat, subjected to whipping or other violent punishments and, in the case of girls, raped and used for sexual slavery. Young children are also actively recruited by Mai Mai to perform rituals believed to protect their members in battle.

The Coalition welcomes the fact that several thousand child soldiers were released during the integration of Mai Mai and other armed groups into the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) last year. However, the opportunity to release the children was not fully exploited and some children associated with the groups remain in the FARDC.

You can read the full report by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers.