By Alexa Harrison
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has struggled from violence and instability over decades, ever since gaining independence from the Belgian rule in 1960. This undeveloped country has lived in poverty for years and has struggled for ways to survive. Congolese security forces and armed groups are responsible for serious abuses against civilians because of the the Congo’s rich mineral wealth. (BBC News, 2014) The Rwandan M23 armed group committed widespread war crimes, including executions, rapes, and forcing recruitment of children. (Human Rights Watch, 2014) This should not be happening in the country and it needs to come to an end.
Child soldiers are placed in combat situations, used as spies, messengers, porters, and servants. Girls in particular are at risk of rape and sexual abuse. (Child Soldiers International, 2012) These childrens lives are ruined and had been forced into something they wouldn’t normally do. On October 4 2012, the government of the DRC and the United Nations officially committed to end the recruitment of children by Congolese armed forces and security services by signing an Action Plan. The United Nation’s Action Plan promises that governments will ban their military from recruiting and using child soldiers. It also promises to release children from service and help them get their life back to it was and hopefully even with more stability. (Voice of America, 2014)
Finally by November 2013, the M23 armed group surrendered and said they were giving up it’s fight. Currently, The United Nations are finding ways to solve the issue of child soldiers worldwide. Groups such as Amnesty International and the UN started working to end the use of child soldiers in wars. The UN started campaigning on laws of selling guns and to stop them from reaching the war where child soldiers are forced to fight. Martin Kobler, the head of MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo) expressed his thoughts about child recruitment and stated, “This situation is unacceptable and has been going on for much too long with impunity. Recruiting children into armed groups is a crime, and destroys the lives of the victims who are forced to do things that no child should be involved in.” (UN News Centre, 2013) We agree with this statement and believe that if organizations can support this issue, that child soldiers will be ban worldwide.