Children Soldiers lined up with weapons in hand.
- Of the millions of civilians that have died about half were children under age five. One in ten of all child soldiers are in the DRC. The UN believes that 15-30% of new recruits into the DRC’s army are under age 15 and that both the rebels and the army use child soldiers because the enemy finds it harder to kill children. Children are often mentally scared for life because of the horrible things they are forced to do. “Amnesty International reports that, as a 15-year-old soldier, 'Kalami' was made to 'kill a family, to cut up their bodies and eat them'. He goes on to say 'my life is lost. I have nothing to live for'.” Many children cannot go back to their families because their families and communities will not accept them back after they have killed.