The MONUSCO Child Protection Section documented 47 grave violations of children’s rights affecting 35 children between 11 and 17 January. During the same period, it strengthened the monitoring of grave violations, intensified its advocacy efforts for the release of detained children, supported reintegration initiatives, and enhanced its collaboration with civil society and State actors. These initiatives contributed to improving the effectiveness of prevention and response mechanisms for children affected by conflict.
Among the grave violations of children’s rights recorded (28 cases in North Kivu and 19 in Ituri) were cases of recruitment and use of children by armed groups, killings and maiming, sexual violence, and abductions.
The perpetrators included M23 rebels, Nyatura/CMC militias, FARDC elements, CODECO fighters, ADF combatants, FRPI militias, and others.
In December 2025, the Section had documented 80 violations affecting 63 children, including 20 girls.
Advocacy and interventions
Despite a reduced field presence following the downsizing of MONUSCO posts at the end of last year, the Child Protection Section continued to scale up its interventions to ensure protection and coordination among the various pillars active in its area of responsibility.
Twenty-seven children received immediate protection and specialized care through collaboration with UNICEF, the P-DDRCS, and other partners working in child protection.
Earlier in the year, Child Protection officers joined a joint assessment mission conducted in Bule and Bayoo, in Djugu territory, Ituri, together with other sections of the United Nations mission, following clashes between the national army and the CRP militia.
Ten grave violations were documented, including eight cases of maiming caused by gunfire or explosive devices and two killings.
Seven additional, separate cases of violations of children’s rights unrelated to the clashes were also identified.
All injured children were urgently evacuated and received medical care at the MONUSCO base in Bayoo before being transferred to Fataki Hospital for more appropriate treatment.
The Mission strengthened protection efforts, coordinated with the Force and civil society organizations, around sites hosting internally displaced persons.
130 children released from M23 custody
During the same week, from 11 to 17 July in Goma, the MONUSCO Child Protection Section confirmed the release of 130 children, including 27 girls, who had been detained by AFC/M23 at Munzenze Prison.
This release followed sustained advocacy efforts in support of child protection. When combined with previous releases secured at the end of 2025, a total of 275 children have been freed from illegal detention over the past three months.
However, 46 children remain unaccounted for, and their parents continue to seek assistance from MONUSCO.
Many of the children had been detained due to mistaken identification as Wazalendo combatants, their status as undocumented street children, or for minor offences. All were referred to medical and psychosocial care provided by partners of the Child Protection Section and have begun the process of reunification with their families.
In addition, also in North Kivu, advocacy efforts by the Section led to the release of a 15-year-old boy who had been detained for one month by the FARDC Sokola 1 operational sector. Following his release on 13 January, the child was referred to a local NGO for temporary care, pending the outcome of efforts to trace his family.
The MONUSCO Child Protection Section intends to maintain dialogue with authorities and partners in order to locate abducted children and facilitate their release by armed groups.
It also aims to ensure close coordination with UNICEF, civil society networks, and State actors to strengthen prevention and response systems.
Joël Bofengo
