For a printable version of Watchlist’s September 2026 Children and Armed Conflict Monthly Update, click here.

In his 2026 annual report (S/2026/357) on children and armed conflict (CAAC), the Secretary-General (SG) listed six non-state armed groups in CAR for committing grave violations against children. In 2025, the UN verified 587 grave violations against 389 children, including the killing and maiming of 57 children, recruitment and use of 234 children, sexual violence against 114 girls, 12 attacks on schools and hospitals, the military use of five schools, and 34 incidents of denial of humanitarian access. The UN also verified the abduction of 133 children, including 108 abducted for recruitment and use and/or sexual violence. Some 132 children escaped or were released. In 2025, the Government signed agreements with 3R, UPC, and MPC, enabling the UN to intensify dialogue with armed group leaders. This dialogue led to the separation of 155 children from UPC, 3R, and FPRC. The cross-border movements by the Sudanese RSF remained active across the country and resulted in ongoing grave violations against children. In September, the SG will report on MINUSCA’s plans for transition and eventual drawdown of MINUSCA when conditions are met per SCR 2800 (2025). The Security Council should:

• Demand that all parties uphold their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law (IHRL);
• Encourage the ongoing efforts made by parties to release children from their ranks; call for all parties to end and prevent grave violations against children, including by engaging with the UN to sign and implement action plans to end and prevent all six grave violations against children; urge the MPC, FPRC, and UPC to fully and swiftly implement their respective action plans and release all children still in their ranks; and encourage engagement with Azande Ani Kpi Gbe on child protection, with United Nations support;
• Urge the Government to operationalize the Handover Protocol for children associated with armed forces and armed groups to child protection actors, and integrate a focal point in the DDRR program to facilitate the separation of children from armed groups;
• Call on the Government to fully implement all aspects of the Child Protection Code and the national plan on the prevention of grave violations against children and to ensure perpetrators of grave violations are held accountable and that child survivors of sexual violence have access to comprehensive, gender-sensitive, and age-appropriate response systems and services, and strengthen preventive measures.

FRANCE IS THE SECURITY COUNCIL PENHOLDER ON CAR. 

In the annexes of his 2026 annual report on CAAC, the SG continued to list the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) for rape and sexual violence and 17 non-state armed groups for committing grave violations against children. In 2025, the UN verified 4,114 grave violations against 3,263 children, including the killing and maiming of 918 children (519 killed, 399 maimed), recruitment and use of 1,397 children, sexual violence against 592 children, 121 attacks on schools and hospitals, the abduction of 1,067 children, and 19 incidents of denial of humanitarian access. The UN also verified the military use of 82 schools. M23 accounted for 404 cases of killing and maiming and 570 abductions, while FARDC perpetrated sexual violence against 147 children. Grave violations against children in the DRC remained high in 2025, driven by the offensive by the AFC/M23, with the direct support and participation of the Rwanda Defence Forces, and the response by government forces and allies, including Wazalendo and VDP. The SG condemned the M23 offensive in North and South Kivu, with the direct support and participation of the Rwanda Defence Forces, which led to a significant increase in child casualties and abductions. In September, the SG will report on MONUSCO per SCR 2808 (2025). The Security Council should:

• Strongly condemn all continuing violations and abuses committed against children in the DRC, and demand that all parties uphold their obligations under IHL and IHRL;
• Demand that Member States ensure that any allied forces and armed groups uphold their obligations under IHL and IHRL;
• Call on all parties to engage with the UN to develop and implement concrete commitments to end and prevent grave violations against children; including action plans where relevant;
• Call upon the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to engage with the UN to implement effective measures to end and prevent the killing and maiming of children, in particular as a result of the use of drone strikes and explosive weapons;
• Urge all parties to take immediate steps to end and prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence against children and ensure that survivors have access to timely, comprehensive, gender-sensitive, and age appropriate response and protection, and call on the Government to accelerate efforts to implement its 2012 action plan to end and prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence and the Joint Communiqué signed with the UN to fight sexual violence in conflict;
• Welcome the prosecution of perpetrators of grave violations, including sexual violence and recruitment and use, and encourage the continuation of accountability efforts, including for killing and maiming of children;
• Call on all parties to allow and facilitate the safe, timely, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to affected populations, especially children impacted by the ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC;
• Reiterate the crucial role of Child Protection Advisers in MONUSCO and demand that the Mission continue to ensure the effectiveness of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM).

FRANCE IS THE SECURITY COUNCIL PENHOLDER ON DRC.  

In the SG’s 2026 annual report on CAAC, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and six additional armed groups are each listed in the annexes for multiple grave violations against children. In 2025, the UN verified 1,889 grave violations against 1,681 children, including the killing and maiming of 1,331 children (847 killed, 484 maimed), sexual violence against 193 children, the abduction of 137 children, 115 attacks on schools and hospitals, the recruitment and use of 63 children, and 50 incidents of denial of humanitarian access, and the military use of four schools. The UN also verified the detention or deprivation of liberty of 212 children. The RSF accounted for 740 cases of killing and maiming, sexual violence against 161 children, 126 abductions, and 73 attacks on schools and hospitals. The continued conflict, including prolonged sieges in North Darfur and South Kordofan states, has driven massive displacement, exposed children to gruesome violence, while humanitarian workers have been attacked and killed as they attempted to deliver lifesaving aid. The Security Council should:

• Unequivocally condemn all continuing violations and abuses committed against children in Sudan, express grave concern at the increase in verified grave violations against children, and demand that all parties uphold their obligations under IHL and IHRL;
• Urge all listed parties to engage with the United Nations to develop, sign, and implement an action plan to prevent and end grave violations against children in Sudan;
• Demand that all parties to conflict immediately release all children under 18 from their ranks and prevent and end all child recruitment and use, the killing and maiming of children, their abductions, as well as take concrete steps to end rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, including in the context of recruitment and use;
• Reiterate calls for safe and unimpeded access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all civilians in need, including children; and condemn attacks against humanitarian operations, premises and workers, including the killing of humanitarian personnel;
• Call for an immediate cessation of attacks on schools, health facilities, and protected personnel, and urge parties to end all military use of such facilities;
• Urge the immediate release of all detained children, recalling that children should only be detained as a last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time, per the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
• Urge donors to swiftly mobilize flexible funding to support the humanitarian response in Sudan, including resources for child protection programs and to additionally support these efforts by creating a dedicated platform for advocacy such as the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict in Sudan.

THE UNITED KINGDOM IS THE SECURITY COUNCIL PENHOLDER ON SUDAN. 

The Working Group has received the following reports of the SG on children and armed conflict and conclusions remain pending: Mali (S/2024/883), Burkina Faso (S/2025/101), Myanmar (S/2025/81), Yemen (S/2025/113), South Sudan (S/2025/317), Syria (S/2025/535), and Somalia (S/2025/735). For targeted recommendations, see Watchlist’s Monthly CAAC updates from March 2025, May 2025, June 2025, September 2025, December 2025, and February 2026, respectively.