UN hears testimony from former child soldier on brutal reality of war

Speaking anonymously and through an interpreter, the 16-year-old called on ambassadors to increase protection and security in conflict zones to ensure that children like him never have to actively participate in the horrors of war.

“When I was born 16 years ago, there was already armed conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo,” the child began, describing the deteriorating situation and how children were the ones who suffered most.

“On the way to school I was forced to join an armed group.”

The child’s testimony highlighted the brutal reality that many children face in conflict areas.

Harsh realities

“Two months ago, in armed attacks on two of our neighboring villages, children were kidnapped and forced to join armed groups, while others were abducted to extort money from their families. This led to the murder of many children whose families did not have the means to pay the ransom demanded.“ the child said, describing how schools and hospitals are being attacked and used as military bases.

The child reported on his personal experiences of being abducted and forced into an armed group.

“We cried and trembled and begged them to let us go home to our families, but they would not listen to us. So they started whipping us and keeping us in the bush. We were heavily guarded and they had orders to kill anyone who tried to escape.”

Testimonies gave vivid descriptions of the hardships they endured, including being forced to scavenge for food and rob vehicles, and soldiers taking girls as their “wives.”

“Life was not rosy because dried cassava was my main food and I was also afraid of wild animals in the bush.”

A comprehensive look at the UN Security Council meeting on children and armed conflict.

Personal appeal to the ambassadors

After three years in the open, the child managed to escape and eventually received support from the Congolese government’s child demobilization program. She is now back in school and working with the Children’s Parliament to raise awareness of children’s rights.

“I would like to urge the United Nations Security Council to work together to provide assistance to children affected by conflict,” the child stressed.

“This assistance will help protect children, provide them with access to education and health care, and protect children from violence in environments where their rights are violated.”

Unprecedented violations

The statement was part of the Security Council’s open debate on children and armed conflict, during which the 15-member body examines the Secretary-General’s annual report and receives detailed briefings from senior UN officials, civil society representatives and experts.

The report covers the period January to December 2023 and reveals “extreme levels” of violence against children in armed conflict, as well as unprecedented numbers of killings and maiming.

Last year, the UN confirmed a shocking 32,990 serious human rights violations against 22,557 children in 26 conflict zones. This is the highest number in almost a decade, Virginia Gamba, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Children and Armed Conflict, told members of the Security Council.

Most serious violations in 2023 occurred in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories – including Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem – as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan.

The abuses against children covered in the report include abduction, killing, maiming, recruitment or use in armed forces and groups, attacks on schools or hospitals, rape or other serious sexual violence, and denial of humanitarian assistance.

© UNICEF/Ashley Gilbertson

Young schoolmates meet in their badly damaged school in a village in northern Ukraine.

The disregard for children’s rights “must stop”

Ms Gamba stressed that the only way forward is through cooperation, solidarity and political will to curb, halt and ultimately end and prevent attacks against children.

Protecting children from conflict is essential to breaking the cycle of violence, she said, calling for a culture of shared responsibility to protect children. Peaceful conflict resolution is needed that provides protection when peace efforts are not enough.

Respect for international law is “the minimum requirement for the protection of children,” she stressed.

“Despite the solid international consensus that has been reached on these issues, the parties to the conflict openly violate children’s rights.with little or no consequences,” she said. “This has to stop.”

UN officials reiterate calls for protection

The Security Council also heard statements from former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his capacity as Vice-Chair of the Elders, and from Ted Chaiban, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Mr Ban stressed that there should be no impunity for those who commit crimes against children anywhere in the world.

Mr Chaiban called on the Security Council to protect children from harm, promote peace and work to end and prevent conflict through sustained diplomacy. He added that humanitarian, peace and development actors stand ready to assist.