The MONUSCO Child Protection Section, in collaboration with the Network of Civil Society Organizations Fighting against the Recruitment and Use of Children by Armed Forces and Groups (ROSCCRESGA), organized a strategic workshop in Goma on 16 October to bolster collective efforts to prevent and address the recruitment and use of children by armed groups.

The initiative comes amid persistent insecurity in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where child recruitment continues to erode community resilience and threaten prospects for peace.

A multi-sectoral participation

The workshop, preparatory to an inter-provincial meeting scheduled for late October in Beni, provided an opportunity to share good practices, identify challenges, and update the mapping of armed groups active in the province.

Participants also reviewed the presence of children associated with armed groups, ongoing prevention and response initiatives, and strategies to be implemented in a transition context marked by the gradual drawdown of MONUSCO.

Strong support for a sustainable transition

The Head of MONUSCO’s Child Protection Section, Mathieu Ndongo Koni, commended the commitment of civil society: “Training organizations to operate with impartiality and neutrality in the sensitive field of child protection is essential as MONUSCO gradually transitions its responsibilities.”

He also emphasized the importance of investing in local capacity-building despite a challenging global funding environment: “I welcome the fact that this workshop was self-funded by the civil society network. With major donors suspending grants, it is crucial to prioritize prevention through training; cost-effective, yet indispensable.”

Murabazi Namegabe, Director of the Bureau pour le Volontariat au service de l’Enfance et de la Santé (BVES), praised MONUSCO’s continued engagement: “I thank MONUSCO for its steady support in strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations working in child protection, and I encourage the Mission to maintain this commitment despite current financial constraints.”

Towards stronger coordination

The recommendations formulated in Goma will inform discussions at the upcoming inter-provincial meeting in Beni, scheduled for 28–29 October, which will bring together delegates from South Kivu, North Kivu, Maniema, Tanganyika and Ituri.

This next step aims to enhance coordination among actors engaged in child protection and to establish a shared roadmap to address persistent challenges, with a particular focus on the post-MONUSCO transition.

MONUSCO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting this process, within its mandate and available resources, by building the capacities of civil society and promoting the active participation of young people, women and children in peace and stabilization efforts across the country.

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