On 17 November, Leila Zerrougui, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, arrived in Kinshasa for a seven-day mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In the capital, she met with members of the Government and UN partners to assess the situation of children affected by armed conflict, and to review progress in the implementation of the Action Plan signed in October 2012 by the Government of the DRC to end and prevent recruitment and use of children by national security forces, as well as sexual violence.
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- Meeting with Prime Minister Matata Ponyo Mapon. ©Myriam Asmani/MONUSCO
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- Leila Zerrougui, SRSG Martin Kobler and UNICEF Representative Barbara Beintein talk to the media following their meeting with the Prime Minister. ©Myriam Asmani/MONUSCO
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- Leila Zerrougui listens to a presentation by her UN colleagues in Kinshasa. ©Myriam Asmani/MONUSCO
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- Meeting with the Minister for Gender, Family and Youth, Genevieve Inagosi. ©Myriam Asmani/MONUSCO
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- Leila Zerrougui talks to Radio Okapi about her mission in DRC. ©Myriam Asmani/MONUSCO
“Child recruitment has plagued the East of the country for too long. The surrender of the M23 and other armed groups brings with it the responsibility to help children reunite with their families, go back to school and aspire to a better future. The citizens of the DRC are asking for peace and I call on all armed groups to immediately lay down their arms and release children in their ranks,” declared the Special Representative.
