emergency assistance, they received psychological treatment by the national team trauma
counselling, school and recreational kits from the education programme of UNICEF.
In July 2010, the Government through the Ministry in charge of humanitarian action signed
with the Embassy of France, a funding agreement (200 000) of the NGO Médecins d'Afrique
(MDA) for the supply of essential medicines that will improve the medical care of both local
people and refugees.
As part of the repatriation of refugees, a tripartite agreement was signed in June 2010
between the Republic of Congo, DRC and UNHCR. The voluntary repatriation of DRC
refugees actually began in May 2012. By September 30, 2013, 103,000 refugees had opted
for voluntary repatriation. Among the remaining refugees in Congo, about 5,000 school
children were listed in the Likouala department. Negotiations are underway for the
integration of these children in the schools of the Republic of Congo.
In December 2012, the Ministry of Interior and Decentralisation, in partnership with the
UNHCR Representation in Brazzaville initiated a project of registration of refugee children in
the civil register. These are mainly refugee children born in the department of Likouala but
with no birth certificates. After the sensitisation phase, more than 1,900 applications were
filed by the parents. After the data collection phase, a validation phase helped to retain
records of 1233 out of the 1241 sent to the Public Prosecutor a the Tribunal de Grande
Instance (TGI) Impfondo.
The ongoing second phase involves the transcription of refugee children’s data in the
requisitions registers for late reporting of births in the civil register.
2. Displaced Children
The Republic of Congo signed in 2009 and has not yet ratified the African Union Convention
on Internally Displaced Persons in Africa called Kampala Convention of 2009.
Following the explosion of ammunition at the Mpila Camp on 4 March 2012, 1,500 displaced
children and orphans were identified. (Illustrated report drama Mpila ADHUC 2012)
3. Children in armed conflict
The phenomenon of children affected by armed conflict is still new in the Congo. The social
and political unrest that Congo has experienced since 1993 has increased the phenomenon of
private militias at the service of some politicians, whose members were mostly recruited
amongst young people.
There is no specific legislation on the matter. However, the Government acceded to the
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of
children in armed conflicts.
After the period of unrest, about 48,000 ex-militia found themselves deprived of resources,
but possessing weapons of war and military techniques they have learned, which they used to
rob, steal and rape, sowing and insecurity and terror throughout the country.
It is in this context of insecurity that disarmament and reintegration of ex-combatants have
emerged as the fundamental concern of the Government, the main national political actors
and the international community.
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