Think Bigg

According to Amnesty International, 11,000 children in the Congo are still in the hands of armed groups or unaccounted for, three years after the end of a war in which they were forced to fight.

The BBC reports:

The five-year conflict triggered a humanitarian crisis estimated to have killed nearly four million people. A demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programme launched two years ago was aimed at releasing an estimated 30,000 child soldiers and getting them back into civilian life.

But Amnesty says the programme is failing, and is appealing to the winner of forthcoming presidential elections to make the issue a priority.

Girls made up 40% of the children taken by armed groups during the war yet the vast majority remain unaccounted for, Amnesty says.

“A lot of them were used more as sex slaves and therefore the combatants are considering them as their possession or their wife,” Amnesty researcher Veronique Albert told the BBC.

You can read Amnesty International’s full report on the crisis, DRC: Children at war, creating hope for the future.

How can you help?  Join their efforts or donate now to help Amnesty International continue to give a voice to these abandoned children.

Share This