Over 400 Children Recruited into Conflict in Eastern DRC in Early 2025

More than 400 children were recruited by armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during January and February 2025, with some as young as 14 years old, Reliefweb.com reported citing Save the Children. Many were taken from schools and communities, exposing them to immediate violence.

Local partners documented these cases amid escalating violence in North and South Kivu. Save the Children supports children released from armed groups, providing psychosocial and economic assistance to aid reintegration. In 2024, they assisted 220 formerly associated children in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, offering education and vocational training.

The recruitment of children in armed conflict is a grave violation of international law. Save the Children reported a tripling of such violations since January 24, 2025, including recruitment, killings, sexual violence, and abductions.

Greg Ramm, Save the Children’s Country Director in DRC, emphasized the urgency of protecting children and called for immediate action from all conflict parties and the international community to prevent these violations.