Now known as Africa’s first world war, the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) began in 1998 among seven nations. The war has cost nearly 4 million lives, and its methods have proven equally vicious: the warring states and militia groups involved have been employing children, from ages 8 to 17, as combatants. Despite the conflict’s official end in 2003 and the establishment of a new government under Joseph Kabila, the continued presence of militia groups in the Congo’s Ituri district and the repercussions of the Congolese war for the conflicts in Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda are producing further warfare. The ongoing violence in the east and the legacy of war have ensured the continued use of child soldiers, creating incredible difficulties for those being demobilized.

The fallout from the 1994 Rwandan genocide launched the war in the DRC as Rwanda and Uganda claimed that members of the extremist Hutu government responsible for the genocide had taken refuge in eastern Congo. They supported a May 1997 rebellion to replace leader Mobutu Sese Seko with Laurent Kabila. The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of the Congo (AFDL), which was mainly responsible for this overthrow, first began to recruit several thousand child soldiers in 1996, establishing a precedent that all other warring groups still follow.

During these recruitments, some children enlisted voluntarily either for a monthly pay of US$100, extremely generous by Congolese standards, or to protect their communities. However, thousands of others were forced into military service after being abducted from streets, schools, refugee camps, or even their own homes. These child soldiers underwent rigorous military training. Due to brutal treatment, including torture and deprivation of food, sleep, and healthcare, hundreds died. Those who managed to survive became cooks, spies, or porters. As soldiers they were forced to commit atrocities such as murdering and raping civilians, enemy soldiers, or even family members. All of the recruited youths experienced military combat, whether fighting directly or acting as shields for adult soldiers. Although it is impossible to state the total number of child soldiers who have died as a result, estimates are in the thousands and rising.

As the widespread use of child soldiers caught the world’s attention, Joseph Kabila, who succeeded his assassinated father as president, demobilized 300 soldiers enlisted in the DRC government army and released them into the care of the United Nations in December 2001. Since then, thousands of child soldiers from other militia groups have undergone the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) process, adopted in 2004 as a national program. The DDR process requires that the children be placed in demobilization centers, where they receive medical and nutritional care, psychological support, and literacy and vocational training before being reunited with their families.

The demobilization process has not been as effective as anticipated, due partly to the politics of the war. In June 2005, UNICEF reported that only a quarter of the 30,000 child soldiers had been demobilized. Some rebel groups, such as the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD-Goma), may have feigned demobilization and then recruited the same children again. Others have not demobilized the agreed number of child soldiers due to continued violence. The security risks in these areas and the lack of communication facilities also prevent children from being reunited with their families.

The biggest challenge for these children lies in life after demobilization. After developing hostile and fearsome qualities during military service, many children require consistent emotional support, which DDR programs do not always provide. In addition to suffering emotional difficulties, these children often have no prospects within Congolese society. Some have grown used to the lifestyle of fighting and violence, and many are unwilling to face poverty at home.

In particular, female former soldiers face problems that are frequently ignored by the DDR programs due to gender discrimination, poor program design, and lack of funding. Furthermore, military commanders prevent girls from leaving via the formal demobilization process; instead, they claim them as “wives” or allow them to depart unnoticed. This failure of rehabilitation promotes community rejection of girl soldiers. As most are sexually exploited during their military service, the stigma surrounding rape creates problems for girls who wish to be reintegrated into society, particularly if they are pregnant or mothers with young children. The community also views them as carriers of HIV/AIDS or other sexual diseases, making them unfit for marriage.

The use of child soldiers in the DRC has far-reaching implications for the future of the region. The failure of DDR programs might lead children currently fighting in the Congo, who are not reintegrated into communities, to become full-fledged soldiers who move onto other African conflicts. They might not only perpetuate violence but also become prime targets for recruitment by terrorist groups. Though the UN Security Council approved measures to prevent the use of child soldiers and the World Food Programme extended food relief to former combatants of the DRC in the summer of 2005, these measures alone will not be strong enough to protect the Congo’s children.

With armed groups still active in the east and thousands of child soldiers remaining in military service, the conflict in the Congo must somehow be resolved. But that would only constitute a short-term solution. In the long term, DDR programs must become more efficient in rehabilitating girls and boys into their communities while the transitional government promotes economic development and peace-building initiatives to sustain the demobilization movement.