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Threatened by armed groups: "I often fear that he will become a criminal like his father"

2023-02-20T04:36:52.044Z


The persistence of armed conflicts led by more than 140 active rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are a permanent threat to children, exposed to extreme violence and abuse


As I head to Beni, a large city in the Grand Nord region — in North Kivu province (northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC) — to assess the situation of children receiving support from Unicef, I cannot avoid witnessing the high number of victims of the armed conflict: thousands of people live in these areas where entire villages can be destroyed from one day to the next.

In these areas, plagued by hundreds of non-state armed groups, children, and girls in particular, bear the brunt of brutal attacks by armed groups, who do not hesitate to kill, kidnap or forcibly recruit them for join their ranks.

At each visit, I pay special attention to spending quality time with the teens.

These meetings are often held in a small room and in confidence, due to the horrors girls face daily in these conflict-affected regions.

Especially those who were kidnapped by armed groups and who later managed to return to their communities, almost always after escaping putting their lives at risk.

Most of them did not have the opportunity to speak to their families and communities about what happened to them while in captivity and experience has shown me that releasing some of the trauma they have experienced to a qualified professional, without fear of trial or reprisal, is a great relief for them and is part of their healing.

In 2022 alone, the United Nations verified and documented close to 3,500 serious violations against children that affected more than 3,000 boys and girls.

In my last meeting I met Sifa (not her real name to protect her identity), a 16-year-old girl with a diminutive figure who, in a small voice, told me that she was kidnapped from her own home, about 100 kilometers east of Beni, during a night attack on his village by an armed group.

She was 14 years old.

After several days of intense walking through the bush, during which she and other girls were raped by her captors, she finally reached the rebel camp, where she was handed over to a 40-year-old

man

.

This ex-combatant raped and exploited her continuously during the two years of her captivity.

Kidnapped girls, slave girls

Life in the mountains is very difficult;

the girls are used to carrying heavy loads and have to work day and night.

“I have lived slavery in the hands of the armed group.

They have no mercy on the girls they kidnap,” he tells me.

Girls were also often severely beaten and those who tried to escape were murdered.

In fact, children living in the eastern part of the DRC are often exposed to extreme violence and abuse due to the persistence of armed conflicts waged by more than 140 rebel groups active in the province.

In 2022 alone, the United Nations verified and documented close to 3,500 grave violations against children that affected more than 3,000 children.

DRC is consistently among the top five countries in the world for the highest number of grave violations committed against children in situations of armed conflict, and is the country with the highest number of children recruited by armed forces and groups since 2005.

I have lived slavery in the hands of the armed group.

They have no mercy for the girls they kidnap

Sifa, was kidnapped by an armed group

In these often difficult-to-reach areas, UNICEF's work focuses on reunifying children with their families, providing temporary care, mental health and psychosocial support, and socioeconomic and school reintegration for minors who They were captured by armed groups or lost their families fleeing the attacks.

UNICEF also focuses on helping survivors of sexual and gender-based violence like Sifa, giving them psychosocial support, education, and legal and training services to resume as normal a life as possible.

Despite all the suffering she has endured, Sifa has been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel as she was released after a military crackdown and later helped by one of our allies to return to her family and resume her life in their community.

As we say goodbye after a long and emotional meeting, Sifa looks at the little baby she has been carrying in her arms all along and whispers, “I often fear that he will become a criminal like his father.”

Ramatou Toure

is head of UNICEF Child Protection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

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Source: elparis

All news articles on 2023-02-20

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