Decree creating and organising the DDR programs (Ordonnance n° 21/038 du 04 juillet 2021 portant création, organisation et fonctionnement d’un Programme de Désarmement, Démobilisation, Relèvement Communautaire et Stabilisation, en sigle “P-DDRCS”)

President Felix Tshisekedi issued this decree a few years after taking office. The decree aims to dismantle the armed groups that re-emerged in the eastern part of the country and to regain control of that part of the territory. This decree re-organizes and broadens the mission of the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It does not contain any provisions on the release of children from armed groups, but child protection actors rely on it for all questions on the issue. This decree is considered to be a component of the national response to recruitment and use of children, as it amends the 2007 decree on the organization of the demobilization of combatants, which contains specific provisions for the care of children associated with armed forces and armed groups once they enter the demobilization process.