September 2014 Vol. 2 No.9

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Adelodun AO

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Review

The Effect of Conflict on Children: A Case Study of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Arinze Ngwube*, Jude Obeta and Saliu Ozimede Zuwelatu

Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State Nigeria

*Corresponding Author's E-mail: ngwube@hotmail.co.uk

Accepted September 04, 2014

Abstract

The new rebellion in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has led to the destruction of properties and loss of human lives. This has resulted in tens of thousands of civilians displaced in Goma to seek safety in the bush. Children have been separated from their parents in the rush to escape the rebel advancement, and could face recruitment from armed groups operating in the area. The conditions of these children have left nothing to be desired. They have found themselves in a morass with no hope in Goma and commotion back home with the rebel soldiers who loot, rape and kill. This has raised serious debates among policy makers, theoreticians and International relations experts on the part of the international community to assist the Congolese in keeping the peace. In any refugee crisis, children face a range of risks, including separation from their families, abuse and exploitation, but the long –term insecurity in the Eastern DRC means that children are in a particularly dangerous situation. Peace and the protection, has to be the number one priority for all parties. For these children who are already at the bottom of the ladder in terms of mortality, education, and resilience, this crisis means even more unimaginable violence and trauma. This has agitated the mind of the researchers to write this paper and come up with recommendations for a lasting solution.

Keywords: Children, Crisis, Democratic Republic of Congo, Protection