Amnesty Calls for Attention on Resurgence in Child Soldier Recruitment and Rape in DRC

By Dahee Nam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

NORTH KIVU PROVINCE, Democratic Republic of Congo - Amnesty International (AI) warns that armed groups are still recruiting child soldiers and sexually abusing women and children in the on-going conflict in North Kivu province, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). AI also reports that children captured by the Democratic Republic of Congo Army who are suspected of being armed fighters are mistreated and tortured while in military custody.

In its new report, North Kivu: No end to the war against women and children, AI reports that government forces “unlawfully detained and in some cases tortured and ill treated captured children, and continue to rape and sexually abuse women and girls.”

According to AI, for every two child soldiers released, five are re-enlisted by the armed forces.  Citing eye witnesses, it says that those who attempt to escape have been killed or tortured, sometimes in front of other children, “as a lesson to all not to try to escape.” 

Rapes are committed in public and in front of family members, with infants and elderly women among the victims. In many cases, the rapes are ethnically motivated or perpetrated to intimidate communities suspected of supporting enemy groups.

Amnesty International emphasized that these abuses are still occurring despite attempts by the government and armed groups to end these atrocities by enacting the "Act of Engagement" signed in January 2008.   

However, on Monday, Defense Minister of Democratic Republic of Congo, Chikez Diemu, challenged the Amnesty report.  He said that he did not know of any reports that the armed forces were re-recruiting child soldiers.  He added that government authorities were taking actions to end the problems, arresting and trying suspects in military courts. 

For more information, please see:

Amnesty International - Armed Groups and Government Forces Continue to Abuse Women and Children in North Kivu – September, 2008

BBC - Congo Blasts Child Soldier Claim - 29 September 2008

Reuters Alert Net - Congo's Children Abducted Back to Battle and Abuse - 29 September  2008

In The News -  Experience "deadly" for Congo's Child Soldiers - 29 September 2008