DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
The Democratic Republic of Congo experienced two successive wars in 1996 and in 2003 where child soldiers were used in mass numbers. The conflict that instigated the wars comes from many sources like the history of colonial and autocratic rule, wars in neighboring countries like Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda, and the situation that at least nine states were militarily involved within the DRC as well as armed rebel groups. The 1996 civil war began when Rwandan troops enter the DRC causing Colonel Joseph Desire Mobuto, the ruler of DRC to flee. Laurent-Desire Kabila, the new president and leader of the Rwandan troops, ordered foreign forces to leave DCR but other Rwandan troops attacked the government hoping to oust Kabila. By the summer of 1999, the country was divided into three sections and was at a stalemate. The Lusaka Accord, signed in August 1999 was the attempted treaty to end the war. However, Kabila was accused of stalling the negotiations before his assassination in 2001. His replacement, Joseph Kabila was more supportive of negotiations leading the continued negotiations in South Africa in February 2002. On April 2, 2003 delegates signed the Final Act, which was the agreement between DCR, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Through the entirety of the conflict in DCR, it is estimated that 5.5 million people lost their lives. The conflict was characterized by population displacements and multiple human rights violations. During the conflict due to rising hostilities in several areas like Ituri, Katanga, and North and South Kivu, ethnic tensions escalated alongside human rights violations. Children were recruited from the start of the conflict to be used by the country in the war. And not just in the capacity of soldiers—though this was where a majority of the children ended up—but also in using thousands of girls as sexual slaves. By the end of the conflict in 2003, over 30,000 children were a part of the armed forces and awaiting demobilization from the conflict. Recruitment for child soldiers officially ended in 2003 as well but many children remained in their units and were absorbed into the ranks. Conflict was not gone from the region however and when conflict would break out again, child recruitment would rise for a period. While in 2005 it was reported that there had been a reduction in child-soldier recruitment, some 7,000 child soldiers were still in the army and recruitment continued until 2007. Many attempts at ending child soldier recruitment have been attempted through legislation like the February 2006 constitution that defined a child as anyone below 18 year of age and that an exploitation of children were punishable by law. In 2004, the Defense and Armed Forces Law prohibited individual requisition of one or more children in the occurrence of mobilization. A Child Protection Code in 2007 prohibited the forced recruitment of children and prison terms of 10-20 years were punishment for violators. The Code also criminalized rape and sexual slavery as well as other exploitative acts.
Currently with the recent escalation of the conflict once again in early 2012, unfortunately child soldier recruitment has been increasing in numbers again. Allegations also exist that Rwanda has been supporting groups who use child soldiers in their recruiting process. In March 2012, Thomas Lubanga was found guilty of enlisting and conscripting children under 5 and deploying them in hostile territories. This is an important step in ending child soldier recruitment but since the conviction, authorities have been struggling to effectively investigate and bring justice to child soldier recruiters.
The Democratic Republic of Congo experienced two successive wars in 1996 and in 2003 where child soldiers were used in mass numbers. The conflict that instigated the wars comes from many sources like the history of colonial and autocratic rule, wars in neighboring countries like Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda, and the situation that at least nine states were militarily involved within the DRC as well as armed rebel groups. The 1996 civil war began when Rwandan troops enter the DRC causing Colonel Joseph Desire Mobuto, the ruler of DRC to flee. Laurent-Desire Kabila, the new president and leader of the Rwandan troops, ordered foreign forces to leave DCR but other Rwandan troops attacked the government hoping to oust Kabila. By the summer of 1999, the country was divided into three sections and was at a stalemate. The Lusaka Accord, signed in August 1999 was the attempted treaty to end the war. However, Kabila was accused of stalling the negotiations before his assassination in 2001. His replacement, Joseph Kabila was more supportive of negotiations leading the continued negotiations in South Africa in February 2002. On April 2, 2003 delegates signed the Final Act, which was the agreement between DCR, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Through the entirety of the conflict in DCR, it is estimated that 5.5 million people lost their lives. The conflict was characterized by population displacements and multiple human rights violations. During the conflict due to rising hostilities in several areas like Ituri, Katanga, and North and South Kivu, ethnic tensions escalated alongside human rights violations. Children were recruited from the start of the conflict to be used by the country in the war. And not just in the capacity of soldiers—though this was where a majority of the children ended up—but also in using thousands of girls as sexual slaves. By the end of the conflict in 2003, over 30,000 children were a part of the armed forces and awaiting demobilization from the conflict. Recruitment for child soldiers officially ended in 2003 as well but many children remained in their units and were absorbed into the ranks. Conflict was not gone from the region however and when conflict would break out again, child recruitment would rise for a period. While in 2005 it was reported that there had been a reduction in child-soldier recruitment, some 7,000 child soldiers were still in the army and recruitment continued until 2007. Many attempts at ending child soldier recruitment have been attempted through legislation like the February 2006 constitution that defined a child as anyone below 18 year of age and that an exploitation of children were punishable by law. In 2004, the Defense and Armed Forces Law prohibited individual requisition of one or more children in the occurrence of mobilization. A Child Protection Code in 2007 prohibited the forced recruitment of children and prison terms of 10-20 years were punishment for violators. The Code also criminalized rape and sexual slavery as well as other exploitative acts.
Currently with the recent escalation of the conflict once again in early 2012, unfortunately child soldier recruitment has been increasing in numbers again. Allegations also exist that Rwanda has been supporting groups who use child soldiers in their recruiting process. In March 2012, Thomas Lubanga was found guilty of enlisting and conscripting children under 5 and deploying them in hostile territories. This is an important step in ending child soldier recruitment but since the conviction, authorities have been struggling to effectively investigate and bring justice to child soldier recruiters.
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