Kasai: children used in armed conflicts return to civilian life

“If you don’t take good care of us, we could end up back in the militias”, keep telling the boys of the transit and orientation center in Mbuji Mayi that welcomes 57 former child soldiers who will be reintegrated into civilian life.

Since the end of 2016, a conflict between government forces and the Kamuina Nsapu militia has a devastating effect on children in the Kasai region, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They have been wounded, killed, denied access to basic services and recruited into the militias. Since the beginning of the crisis, UNICEF and its partners had provided psycho-social support and ongoing care to 826 former child soldiers.

As soon as they arrive in the UNICEF-supported center, children are supervised by a team of nurses, psychologists and managers and are encouraged to participate in a multitude of group activities. “They have opened up little by little”, explains with pride Papa Prince, an instructor at the center. “The first few days were not easy because the boys were afraid. There was a rumor circulating that the center was not good for them, that it was actually a way to get them to enlist in the army”.

The goal is for children to stay in the center for no longer than a few weeks, so that they can prepare their reintegration into their family or foster family. Unfortunately, “their reintegration into society is not always easy”, tells Papa Prince. “These boys have participated in looting and killings, what they did in the militia can hinder their reintegration: many families refuse to take back their children”.

Important remediation work needs to be undertaken with the children, the families and the communities. Papa Prince knows that if the boys are marginalized or have nothing to do, they risk being recruited into the militias again during the next wave of violence. What future can these children aspire to, if there is nothing for them to do and they remain idle? “War could then once again be their only way to survive”, sadly admits Papa Prince.

Thanks to Sweden (SIDA), the USA (USAID), Canada (CIDA), Japan (JICA), the Netherlands, Belgium as well as UNICEF France, Amade Mondiale, UNICEF Germany and CERF for their support to programmes assisting children released from armed groups, forces and militias.