Antislavery Usable Past

There are an estimated 1,045,000 people living in conditions of modern slavery in the Democratic Republic of Congo (GSI 2018). In 2016 several armed groups continued to abduct and forcibly recruit men, women and children as combatants and in support roles such as guards, cleaners, cooks and spies.  In 2016, 184 cases of child soldiers were reported, with 1,662 children reported to have seperated or escaped from armed groups. Child soldiers who manage to escape remain vulnerable to re-recruitment as adeqaute rehabilitation services remain unavailable to children suffering trauma, stigmatisation and the continued threat of armed groups. 

John was abducted at nine years old when militia attacked his village. He was forced to become a child soldier.  John was beaten each time he tried to escape. He finally managed to escape 3 weeks ago (2012) to a UN military base before dawn. It had been 6 years. Now he is at a transition centre for child soldiers.