UN reports 4,114 grave violations against children in DRC

The United Nations has documented 4,114 grave violations against 3,263 children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2025. This figure represents the second-highest number of verified violations globally, following only Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The UN monitoring system categorizes these violations into six areas: murder or mutilation, recruitment and use of children by armed groups, sexual violence, abductions, attacks against schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access. Specific data for 2025 includes 1,397 children recruited or used by conflict parties, 918 cases of murder or mutilation, 592 instances of sexual violence, and 1,067 abductions.

While peace processes in Washington and Doha address civilian protection, the level of specificity regarding child protection varies. The Washington process, focused on security engagements between the DRC and Rwanda, addresses child labor through regional economic integration frameworks. Meanwhile, the Doha process involving the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 includes protocols on humanitarian access and the prevention of exploitation and abuse of women and children.