Standard Operating Procedures on age verification of new recruits

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COUNTRY:

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

DOCUMENT TYPE:

Other

YEAR ADOPTED:

2016

Description

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in April 2016, standard operating procedures (SOPs) on age verification of new recruits were formally adopted. The SOPs were disseminated over the course of 2017.[1] The SOPs are “a tool to help prevent recruitment and has now been implemented at all levels of the army.”^[2] The 2018 United Nations Secretary-General’s report on children and armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo explains of the implementation of the SOPs, “At least 33,667 new recruits and former armed group elements integrating into FARDC [Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo] under disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes were screened, as a result of which 432 children were separated before being recruited or integrated. The total included 43 boys screened out from FARDC trainees at the Kamina Training Centre in September 2017. While some of the boys were at the Centre for up to five months and some FARDC elements attempted to hide them, they were not formally enrolled and have since been reunited with their families. FARDC hierarchy provided assurances to the country task force that it will hold accountable those responsible. At least 25,781 FARDC and Congolese National Police elements were trained on child protection and the action plan by the country task force.”[3]

[1] “Children and armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Report of the Secretary-General,” United Nations Secretary-General, S/2018/502, May 25, 2018, p. 12, https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n18/161/64/pdf/n1816164.pdf.

^[2] “6 questions about the issue of child soldiers in DRC,” UNICEF, February 10, 2017, https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/6-questions-about-issue-child-soldiers-drc.

[3] “Children and armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Report of the Secretary-General,” United Nations Secretary-General, S/2018/502, May 25, 2018, p. 12, https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n18/161/64/pdf/n1816164.pdf.