Children and the Conflict in the DR Congo
11 November 2008
The Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly known as Zaire) has broken into conflict once again following the formal end of its civil war in 2003. Fighting broke out again in August of 2008 and though no one can be sure why fighting has broke out, General Laurent Nkunda, a rebel fighter, claims that it is because the Congolese government will not protect his Tutsi community from a group of Rwandan Hutus (accused of being involved in the the 1994 Rwandan genocide). If you’re interested in learning more, the BBC has an informative summary.
Both sides and the resultant insecurity have forced civilians to flee their homes. Aid organizations like Save the Children and UNICEF have been assisting civilians but as with many unstable situations, their job is made much more difficult. The United Nations has 17,000 peacekeepers in the Congo, but because of their limited mandate, they have very little power to act in defense even of civilians. On Saturday, the UN accused both the government forces and General Nkunda’s forces of war crimes in the deaths of at least 26 civilians in the town of Kiwanja last week.
Civilians, especially children, are most vulnerable during fighting and instability. UNICEF released a warning about affected civilians last week:
“Apart from disease and malnutrition, displacement results in serious disruptions to normal life, especially for children.
“All schools in the Rutshuru territory are closed, and many schools in the Masisi territory are closed, “ said Mr. Murthy. UNICEF is providing school kits and plastic sheeting to set up emergency classrooms in displacement settlements. But for families and children who are forced to continually flee fighting, consistent access to education is impossible.
UNICEF is also worried about children who have been separated from their families during displacement, as well as continuing evidence of forced recruitment of child soldiers by all armed groups.
“We know that there were 37 children that were recruited by armed groups during the fighting in Rutshuru and Kiwanja,” said Mr. Murthy. “We’re extremely concerned with the serious tensions in the area, that those children that were recently recruited could be used in fighting.”
The BBC today published a set of eight photos of the conflict in the DRC.
We cannot forget about the situation of children and civilians in all conflicts.
