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 For six years, war has lashed the eastern half of the Democratic Republic of Congo, killing three million people and displacing another 12 million from their homes. Among the conflict’s more chilling realities: child soldiers, some shorter than the rifles they carry. Many young recruits are joining tribal militias, such as the Mai Mai and Interahamwe, which roam the region’s forests, ambushing and killing at will.
“All warring groups in eastern DRC use children to fight,” says Jonas Njelango, World Vision’s Director for Programs in the war-torn region. “When we visited the town of Beni, along the roads were small children carrying guns that seemed heavy for them.”
In the midst of this crisis, a ray of hope: The recent power-sharing pact signed by government and rebel leaders may hasten an end to the conflict. If this happens, the youthful soldiers would be demobilized and allowed to return home. Marring this bright spot, however, are reports of marauding rebels practicing cannibalism against the region’s pygmy population.
World Vision is teaming with other organizations, including the European Community Humanitarian Office, the World Food Program, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the U.S. Agency for International Development, to bring aid to the war-torn region.
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