The most coveted tools of warfare in North Kivu are not grenades, or even shoulder-fired missiles.  Children are the weapon of choice- too young to question orders, with hands the perfect size for Russian made AK-47 (Kalashnakov) assault rifles, they are taken from their schools and homes and forced into service, kept from leaving through fear of punishment or drug addiction.  They are used as frontline fighters, porters, and even sex slaves.

Walking through the Kibumba displaced camp today, a dozen miles south of the front line, we happened across an old man carrying a blanket, tools and some food.  He had fled the fighting yesterday with his 14 year old grandson.  But this morning, the Congolese army surrounded them and forced the boy to join the battle against Nkunda’s rebels.  The grandfather had no choice but to continue on to Goma.

The use of child soldiers in North Kivu has been prevalent since the start of the first war in 1996, but the recent round of fighting in December is leading to a new ‘catastrophic situation’ for children, according to the organization Save the Children.  The 7,000 child soldiers they have demobilized in the area over the past 3 years are especially at risk, according to country director Hussein Marsal:

Children previously rescued from armed groups are at greater risk because commanders seek out battle-hardened youths, as many of them fail to reintegrate into family and community life due to lack of resources for care and schooling.

Last week in Bukavu we saw first hand how challenging it is to help these children find a new life after war.  We spent an afternoon with former child soldiers at a demobilization center where two dozen boys, aged between 15 and 19, try to remember how to be teenagers again.  Many came from here in North Kivu.

Children arrive at the center without their guns, feeling cast out by their commander. Counselors must first gain their trust, and then help them understand that the terrible things they saw and were forced to do were not their fault. The adults, not they, are responsible.  They learn to not pull out a knife when they have an argument with another boy, and interact with women and girls with respect.

But when their 3-6 month program is finished, I wondered, what will happen to them?  With luck they will be reunited with their families and be able to finish a childhood deferred.  But with renewed violence, at least a few will find themselves on the battlefield in North Kivu, trying to kill an enemy they might have played cards with in Bukavu.

Learn about the campaign to end the use of child soldiers.

Want to learn more about what it is like to be a child soldier?  We recommend Ishmael Beah’s book, A long Way Gone.

Posted By: Michael Graham | December 06, 2007 | Comments (2)