Children and armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Report of the Secretary-General (S/2024/705) [EN/AR/RU/ZH]

Summary

The present report, submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and subsequent resolutions on children and armed conflict, is the ninth report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and covers the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2024.

The report documents the effects of conflict on children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, highlighting trends and patterns of the six grave violations, namely the recruitment and use of children, the killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, attacks on schools, hospitals and protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, the abduction of children and denial of humanitarian access. Where available, the report contains information on perpetrators. It also outlines the progress made in addressing grave violations against children.

The report provides recommendations to parties to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for ending and preventing grave violations against children and recommendations on strengthening child protection.

I. Introduction

1. The present report was prepared pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and subsequent resolutions on children and armed conflict and covers the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2024. It is the ninth report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be submitted to the Council and its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. The report highlights trends and patterns of grave violations committed against children by parties to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and provides details on the progress made to end and prevent such violations since the previous report (S/2022/745) and the adoption by the Working Group of its conclusions on the situation of children and armed conflict in the country (S/AC.51/2022/7). It also contains information on progress and challenges in the engagement with parties to the conflict and on the implementation of action plans and road maps. Where possible, parties to conflict responsible for grave violations are identified.

2. In annex I to the most recent report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (A/78/842-S/2024/384), under List A of listed State actors, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo were listed for sexual violence against children. Under List B of listed non-State armed groups, 16 armed groups were listed for one or more grave violations against children: Alliance des forces de résistance congolaise (AFRC) and Twigwaneho, for the recruitment and use of children; Mai-Mai Zaïre, for the killing and maiming of children; Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS), for recruitment and use and abduction; Coopérative pour le développement du Congo (CODECO), for killing and maiming, sexual violence, abduction and attacks on schools and hospitals; Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda-Forces combattantes abacunguzi (FDLRFOCA) and Force de résistance patriotique de l’Ituri (FRPI), for recruitment and use, sexual violence, abduction and attacks on schools and hospitals; Lord’s Resistance Army, for recruitment and use, killing and maiming, sexual violence and abduction; Mai-Mai Apa Na Pale, Nyatura, and Raia Mutomboki, for recruitment and use, sexual violence and abduction; Mai-Mai Mazembe, for recruitment and use, killing and maiming and abduction; Mai-Mai Simba, for recruitment and use and sexual violence; Nduma défense du Congo-Rénové (NDC-Rénové), for recruitment and use, killing and maiming and sexual violence; and Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and Mouvement du 23 mars (M23), for recruitment and use, killing and maiming, sexual violence, abduction and attacks on schools and hospitals.

3. The information contained in the present report was verified by the United Nations country task force on monitoring and reporting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is co-chaired by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Challenges relating to insecurity in and access to conflict-affected areas, including due to access restrictions imposed by parties to conflict, anti-MONUSCO sentiment and logistical challenges, significantly hampered the documentation and verification of grave violations against children. Therefore, the information contained in the present report does not represent the full extent of grave violations committed against children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the reporting period, and the actual number of violations is likely to be higher. Where incidents were committed earlier but verified only during the reporting period, the information is qualified as relating to an incident that was verified at a later date.