The recruitment of child soldiers in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has dramatically increased as armed groups escalate their activities in the region. Children, some as young as 10, are being forcibly enlisted, used in combat, and subjected to grueling labor.
One young girl, who fled from an armed group, recounted her terrifying experience from a displacement camp near Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. She described joining a group called the Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo as a “nightmare,” despite being recruited at an age when most children should have been in school. “I went to war,” she said, reflecting on her role carrying heavy weapons and supporting fighters on the frontlines.
Poverty and Abductions Fuel Recruitment
While some children are driven to join these armed groups by poverty, many are forcibly abducted or coerced into service. A United Nations report revealed that nearly all armed groups in the region, including the M23 rebels, have been actively recruiting children on an unprecedented scale. The M23 group, which has gained international attention for its ties to Rwanda, has been particularly notorious for abducting children from rural areas and refugee camps in Rwanda and Uganda.
Once captured, the children are often subjected to brutal conditions. At one M23 training camp, children made up 20% of the recruits, with those aged 15 and older undergoing military training and being deployed to the frontlines. Younger recruits, typically under 15, were put to hard labor or assigned to serve senior commanders until they were deemed old enough for combat.
“Cannon Fodder” for Armed Groups
Marie Soudnie Rivette, director of War Child in DRC, expressed deep concern over the growing number of children involved in the conflict. “It’s clearly rising,” she said, adding that the actual number of child soldiers is likely far higher than reported. “Children are cannon fodder today,” she stressed, emphasizing the exploitation of children for combat roles.
The use of children as soldiers has become widespread, with nearly every armed group operating in the region now recruiting children. These groups often determine whether a child is eligible based on size and physical strength, rather than age. This has led to a disturbing normalization of child soldier recruitment.
The Dangers of Escape
Many children who attempt to escape these groups face severe risks. Those who try to flee are often shot at, while some have been executed for desertion. Several children interviewed in displacement camps around Goma shared that escaping was their only way out of the violence, but doing so came with life-threatening dangers.
Onesphore Sematumba, an analyst with the Crisis Group, highlighted the grim reality. “Armed groups often determine a child’s eligibility for recruitment based on their ability to carry heavy loads, not their age or vulnerability,” he explained.
A Call for Urgent Action
The widespread use of child soldiers is a stark reminder of the ongoing exploitation of children in the context of conflict. Advocacy groups are urgently calling for immediate action to stop the recruitment of children and ensure accountability for these violations of human rights.
As the conflict continues to devastate eastern DRC, the international community faces growing pressure to take swift action to protect vulnerable children and halt the cycle of violence that has plagued the region for years.