As the humanitarian crisis in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to worsen following the new offensive of the M23 rebels, UNICEF has sounded the alarm over the surge of grave violations against children.
According to the UN agency, recent reports highlight that the number of incidents has tripled in just a month, signaling an urgent need for international attention and intervention.
Sharp increase in cases of sexual violence, abductions
Among the most distressing developments is the sharp increase in cases of sexual violence, abductions, and violent assaults on children.
Reports indicate that sexual violence (also targeting women), has risen by more than two and a half times, abductions have increased sixfold, while killings and maiming of children have surged sevenfold.
Also, attacks on schools and hospitals have escalated at an unprecedented rate, multiplying by twelve times compared to previous levels.
Jean François Basse, UNICEF’s acting representative in the DRC, has issued a strong appeal to all parties involved in the conflict, urging them to halt these severe violations immediately.
The widespread insecurity has led to the collapse of essential services, leaving thousands of schools closed and many children separated from their families. Furthermore, the breakdown of law enforcement and justice services, combined with the proliferation of weapons and the emptying of prisons, has significantly increased children’s vulnerability.
Forced recruitment of children
Another pressing concern is the reported forced recruitment of children into armed groups which has been a longstanding issue in the DRC, holding one of the highest global records for child recruitment in conflict.
In response, the United Nations has been collaborating with the Congolese government since 2012 through an action plan aimed at ending child recruitment and other severe abuses, including sexual violence.
Protecting unaccompanied children
Recognizing the urgent need to protect and support children affected by the conflict, UNICEF has intensified its efforts to reunite unaccompanied children with their families. Since the latest outbreak of violence, 1,200 children have been identified as unaccompanied, and UNICEF has successfully reunited 720 of them with their families. For those whose families cannot yet be found, the agency is placing them in foster care to provide temporary protection.
While urging all parties to adhere to international legal frameworks and protect civilians, the UN agency has stressed the need for accountability, insisting that the international community and the government must ensure that the perpetrators of these atrocities are brought to justice to end the cycle of impunity.
Concerns over regional escalation of the conflict
Meanwhile the fighting shows no signs of abatement with Rwanda-backed M23 forces continuing their advance in the mineral-rich North and South Kivu provinces and threatening to go further, despite calls for a ceasefire, increasing concerns over a possible regional escalation of the conflict.
The conflict is in fact not merely an internal ethnic matter: it is a geopolitical struggle involving multiple regional actors with competing interests, including Rwanda which the Congolese government accuses of backing the M23 rebels and deploying its own forces to exploit the DRC’s lucrative mineral wealth, and hutu-majority Burundi, which has supported the regular Congolese army in its fight against tutsi-led M23.
Uganda has also entered the fray, ostensibly to combat its Islamist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) but is suspected of supporting Rwanda and the M23.
The recent killing of 20 soldiers of the contingent sent by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to support the Congolese government by M23 forces has also further strained relations between SADC member states, in particular South Africa, and Rwanda.
This situation bears striking similarities to the Second Congo War (1998-2003) , in which SADC played a crucial role in defending the DRC against Rwandan and Ugandan-backed forces.
Humanitarian crisis
The latest M23 offensive has displaced over 500,000 people in the in North and South Kivu alone, contributing to an already staggering figure of 7 million internally displaced persons in the DRC.
At least 7,000 people have been killed over the past month. Given the growing regionalization of the crisis with its humanitarian toll the need for a coordinated African response has never been more urgent.
While diplomatic efforts continue, the situation on the ground suggests that a more decisive intervention may be required to prevent further bloodshed and instability.
With thanks to Vatican News and Lisa Zengarini, where this article originally appeared.
