WORLD BRIDGE BLOG

About one month ago, the ICC began trying former Congolese warlord, Thomas Lubanga, who is accused of forcing children to fight during the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) war that ended in 2003. He is accused of abducting about 30,000 children under the age of 15 and as young as 9, training them to become soldiers and using them as porters and sex slaves.  Today, the DRC continues to suffer from violent conflict and has been deemed by many as "the worst place to be a child."

In eastern DRC, an estimated 3,000 children are being used as combatants, and the outbreak of fighting in August 2008 dramatically increased the rate of child recruitment. A recent operation against the Hutu militia by the Congolese and Rwandan militaries revealed the increasing number of children forced into becoming combatants and sex slaves for rebel camps.  While international actors have focused the brunt of their debate on whether or not peacekeeping and military operations have successfully suppressed rebel forces, this was a clear indication that in the midst of the conflict, we have not lived up to our responsibility of child protection.

Seven years ago, the United Nations entered into force the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Children, striving to protect children in situations of armed conflict. Though 123 countries have ratified the protocol and another 30 have signed it, the situation in the DRC is not an isolated case. There are an estimated 300,000 child soldiers worldwide and the number of children affected by armed conflict continues to grow today.

This month, young people from around the world participated in the Red Hand Day campaign held at UN headquarters in New York to highlight the recruitment of child soldiers around the world. During the event, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon asserted that the use of child soldiers is "one of the most appalling human rights abuses in the world today."  Yet, conscription into armed factions is only one element of the threat brought onto children caught in the middle of conflict. Children’s rights to education, nationality and basic survival are at risk. They spend a great deal of their developmental years surrounded by violence and are rushed into adulthood, often forced into labor in order to support families that have been impoverished due to ongoing conflict.

While the international community works diligently to tackle violent factions and restore peace at all costs, we can not forget about the commitments that we’ve made to preserve the integrity and livelihood of children affected by armed conflict. Bringing perpetrators of this violence to trial is a positive step in acknowledging the laws we’ve set for ourselves. However, child protection goes beyond preventing child recruitment. We must also ensure that in times of violent conflict access to food, education, healthcare, and other elements vital to child development are provided.

Next Wednesday, Refugees International will release its latest field report on the conflict in Eastern DR Congo. For more information visit www.refugeesinternational.org.